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The Forge in the Forest 




/ 


The 

Forge in the Forest 


Being 


The Narrative of the Acadian Ranger^ 
de Mer^ Seigneur de Briart ; and how 
he crossed the Black Abbe ; and of 
his Adventures in a Strange 
Fellowship 



By 

Charles G. D. Roberts 

Author of ‘‘ The Heart of the Ancient Wood ** 
** By the Marshes of Minas,” “A Sister 
to Evangeline,” etc. 



Silver, Burdett and Company 

New York Boston Chicago 




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•CO 


Copyright, 1896, 

By Lamson, Wolffe and Company. 


Ail rights reserved. 


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To 

George E. Fenety, Esq. 

This Story of a Province 
among whose Honoured Sons he is 
not least distinguished 
is dedicated 

with esteem and affection 



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.1 


The Forge in the Forest 


A Foreword 

W HERE the Five Rivers flow down 
to meet the swinging of the Minas 
tides, and the Great Cape of Blomi- 
don bars out the storm and the fog, lies 
half a county of rich meadow-lands and 
long-arcaded orchards. It is a deep- 
bosomed land, a land of fat cattle, of 
well-filled barns, of ample cheeses and 
strong cider; and a well-conditioned folk 
inhabit it. But behind this countenance 
of gladness and peace broods the memory 
of a vanished people. These massive 
dykes, whereon twice daily the huge tide 
beats in vain, were built by hands not 
suffered to possess the fruits of their 
labour. These comfortable fields have 


II 


12 The Forge in the Forest 

been scorched with the ruin of burniit 
homes, drenched with the tears of wome 
hurried into exile. These orchard lanei. 
appropriate to the laughter of children c 
the silences of lovers, have rung with battl 
and run deep with blood. Though th< 
race whose bane he was has gone, sti.’. 
stalks the sinister shadow of the Black 
Abbe. 

The low ridge running between the 
dykelands of the Habitants and the dyke- 
lands of the Canard still carries patches 
of forest interspersed among its farms, 
for its soil is sandy and not greatly to be 
coveted for tillage. These patches are 
but meagre second growth, with here 
and there a gnarled birch or overpeer- 
ing pine, lonely survivor of the primeval 
brotherhood. The undergrowth has long 
smoothed out all traces of what a curious 
eye might fifty years ago have discerned, 
— the foundations of the chimney of a 
blacksmith’s forge. It is a mould well 
steeped in fateful devisings, this which 
lies forgotten under the creeping roots 
of juniper and ragged-robin, between the 


A Foreword 


13 

diminished stream of Canard and the yel- 
low tide of Habitants. 

The forest then was a wide-spreading 
solemnity of shade wherein armies might 
have moved unseen. The forge stood 
where the trail from Pereau ran into the 
more travelled road from the Canard to 
Grand Pre. The branches of the ancient 
wood came down all about its low eaves ; 
and the squirrels and blue jays chattered on 
its roof. It was a place for the gathering 
of restless spirits, the men of Acadie who 
hated to accept the flag of the English 
king. It was the Acadian headquarters 
of the noted ranger, Jean de Mer, who 
was still called by courtesy, and by the 
grace of such of his people as adhered to 
his altered fortunes, the Seigneur de Briart. 
His father had been lord of the whole 
region between Blomidon and Grand Pre ; 
but the English occupation had deprived 
him of all open and formal lordship, for 
the de Briart sword was notably conspicu- 
ous on the side of New France. Never- 
theless, many of Jean de MePs habitants 
maintained to him a chivalrous allegiance. 


14 


The Forge in the Forest 


and paid him rents for lands which in the 
English eye were freehold properties. He 
cherished his hold upon these faithful folk, 
willing by all honest means to keep their 
hearts to France. His one son, Marc, 
grew up at Grand Pre, save for the three 
years of his studying at Quebec. His 
faithful retainer, Babin, wielding a smith’s 
hammer at the Forge, had ears of wisdom 
and a tongue of discretion for the men 
who came and went. Once or twice in 
the year, it was de Mer’s custom to visit 
the Grand Pre country, where he would 
set his hand to the work of the forge after 
Babin’s fashion, playing his part to the 
befooling of English eyes, and taking, in 
truth, a quaint pride in his pretended 
craft. At the time, however, when this 
narrative opens, he had been a whole 
three years absent from the Acadian land, 
and his home-coming was yet but three 
days old. 


Chapter I 

The Capture at the Forge 

I T was good to be alive that afternoon. 

A speckled patch of sunshine, hav- 
ing pushed its way through the branches 
across the road, lay spread out on the 
dusty floor of the forge. On a block just 
inside the door sat Marc, his lean, dark 
face, — the Belleisle face, made more 
hawklike by the blood of his Penobscot 
grandmother, — all aglow with eagerness. 
The lazy youngster was not shamed at the 
sight of my diligence, but talked right on, 
with a volubility which would have much 
displeased his Penobscot grandmother. It 
was pleasant to be back with the lad again, 
and I was aweary of the war, which of late 
had kept my feet forever on the move 
from Louisbourg to the Richelieu. My 
fire gave a cheerful roar as I heaved upon 
IS 


1 6 The Forge in the Forest 


the bellows, and turned my pike-point in 
the glowing charcoal. As the roar sighed 
down into silence there was a merry whirr 
of wings, and a covey of young partridges 
flashed across the road. A contented 
mind and a full stomach do often make 
a man a fool, or I should have made 
shift to inquire why the partridges had 
so sharply taken wing. But I never 
thought of it. I turned, and let the iron 
grow cool, and leaned with one foot on 
the anvil, to hear the boy's talk. My 
soul was indeed asleep, lulled by content, 
or I would surely have felt the gleam of 
the beady eyes that watched me through 
a chink in the logs beside the chimney. 
But I felt those eyes no more than if I 
had been a log myself. 

“ Yes, Father,” said Marc, pausing in 
rich contemplation of the picture in his 
mind's eye, ‘‘ you would like her hair ! 
It is unmistakably red, — a chestnut red. 
But her sister's is redder still ! ” 

I smiled at his knowledge of my little 
weakness for hair of that colour ; but not 
of a woman's hair was I thinking at that 


The Capture at the Forge 


17 


moment, or I should surely have made 
some question about the sister. My 
mind ran off upon another trail. 

“ And what do the English think 
they’re going to do when de Ramezay 
comes down upon them ? ” I inquired. 
“ Do they flatter themselves their tumble- 
down Annapolis is strong enough to hold 
us off? 

The lad flushed resentfully and straight- 
ened himself up on his seat. 

“ Do you suppose, Father, that I was 
in the fort, and hobnobbing with the 
Governor ^ ” he asked coldly. “ I spoke 
with none of the English save Prudence 
and her sister, and the child.” 

But why not ? ” said I, unwilling to 
acknowledge that I had said anything at 
which he might take offence. “ Every 
one knows your good disposition toward 
the English, and I should suppose you 
were in favour at Annapolis. The Gov- 
ernor, I know, makes much of all our peo- 
ple who favour the English cause.” 

Marc stood up, — lean, and fine, and a 
good half head taller than his father, — 


1 8 The Forge in the Forest 


and looked at me with eyes of puzzled 
wrath. 

And you think that I, knowing all I 
do of de Ramezay’s plans, would talk to 
the English about them ! '' he exclaimed 
in a voice of keen reproach. 

Now, I understood his anger well 
enough, and in my heart rejoiced at it ; 
for though I knew his honour would 
endure no stain, I had nevertheless feared 
lest I should find his sympathies all Eng- 
lish. He was a lad with a way of think- 
ing much and thinking for himself, and 
even now, at twenty year, far more of a 
scholar than I had ever found time to be. 
Therefore, I say, his indignation pleased 
me mightily. Nevertheless I kept at him. 

Chut ! ” said I, all the world knows 
by now of de Ramezay's plans. There 
had been no taint of treachery in talking 
of them ! ” 

Marc sat down again, and the ghost 
of a smile flickered over his lean face. 
Though free enough of his speech be- 
times, he was for the most part as unsmil- 
ing as an Indian. 


The Capture at the Forge 


19 


‘‘ I see you are mocking me, Father,’' 
he said presently, relighting his pipe. 
“ Indeed, you know very well I am on 
your side, for weal or ill. As long as 
there was a chance of the English being 
left in peaceable possession of Acadie, I 
urged that we should accept their rule 
fully and in good faith. No one can say 
they haven’t ruled us gently and gener- 
ously. And I feel right sure they will 
continue to rule us, for the odds are on 
their side in the game they play with 
France. But seeing that the game has 
yet to be played out, there is only one 
side for me, and I believe it to be the 
losing one. Though as a boy I liked 
them well enough, I have nothing more 
to do with the English now except to 
fight them. How could I have another 
flag than yours ? ” 

“You are my own true lad, whatever 
our difference of opinion ! ” said I. And 
if my voice trembled in a manner that 
might show a softness unsuited to a vet- 
eran of my training, bear in mind that, 
till within the past three days, I had not 


20 


The Forge in the Forest 


seen the lad for three years, and then but 
briefly. At Grand Pre, and in Quebec at 
school, Marc had grown up outside my 
roving life, and I was just opening my 
eyes to find a comrade in this tall son 
of my boyhood’s love. His mother, a 
daughter of old Baron St. Castin by his 
Penobscot wife, had died while he was yet 
at the breast. A babe plays but a small 
part in the life of a ranging bush-fighter, 
though I had ever a great tenderness for 
the little lad. Now, however, I was look- 
ing upon him with new eyes. 

Having blown the coals again into a 
heat, I returned to Marc’s words, certain 
of which had somewhat stuck in my 
crop. 

But you speak with despondence, lad, 
of the chances of the war, and of the hope 
of Acadie ! By St. Joseph, we’ll drive the 
English all the way back of the Penobscot 
before you’re a twelvemonth older. And 
Acadie will see the Flag of the Lilies flap- 
ping once more over the ramparts of Port 
Royal.” 

Marc shook his head slowly, and seemed 


The Capture at the Forge 


21 


to be following with his eyes the vague 
pattern of the shadows on the floor. 

It seems to me,” said he, with a con- 
viction which caught sharply at my heart 
even though I bore in mind his youth and 
inexperience, that rather will the Flag of 
the Lilies be cast down even from the 
strong walls of Quebec. But may that 
day be far off! As for our people here in 
Acadie, during the last twelvemonth it has 
been made very clear to me that evil days 
are ahead. The Black Abbe is preparing 
many sorrows for us here in Acadie.” 

I suppose you mean La Game !” said 
I. “ He's a diligent servant to France ; 
but I hate a bad priest. He's a danger- 
ous man to cross, Marc ! Don't go out 
of your way to make an enemy of the 
Black Abbe ! ” 

Again that ghost of a smile glimmered 
on Marc's lips. 

“ I fear you speak too late. Father ! ” 
said he, quietly. The reverend Abbe 
has already marked me. He so far hon- 
ours me as to think that I am an obstacle 
in his path. There be some whose eyes 


22 


The Forge in the Forest 


I have opened to his villany, so that he 
has lost much credit in certain of the par- 
ishes. I doubt not that he will contrive 
some shrewd stroke for vengeance.” 

My face fell somewhat, for I am not 
ashamed to confess that I fear a bad priest, 
the more so in that I yield to none in my 
reverence for a good one. I turned my 
iron sharply in the coals, and then ex- 
claimed : 

“ Oh, well, we need not greatly trouble 
ourselves. There are others, methinks, 
as strong as the Black Abbe, evil though 
he be ! ” But I spoke, as I have often 
found it expedient to do, with more confi- 
dence than I felt. 

Even at this moment, shrill and clear 
from the leafage at one end of the forge, 
came the call of the big yellow-winged 
woodpecker. I pricked up my ears and 
stiffened my muscles, expectant of I knew 
not what. 

Marc looked at me with some surprise. 

It’s only a woodpecker ! ” said he. 

But it’s only in the spring,” I pro- 
tested, ‘‘ that he has a cry like that ! ” 


The Capture at the Forge 


23 


He cries untimely, as an omen of the 
ills to come ! ” said Marc, half meaning it 
and half in jest. 

Had it been anywhere on the perilous 
frontier, — on the Richelieu or in the 
West, or nigh the bloody Massachusetts 
line, my suspicions would have sprung up 
wide awake. But in this quiet land be- 
tween the Habitants and the Canard I 
was off my guard, — and what a relief it 
was, indeed, to let myself be careless for a 
little ! I thought no more of the wood- 
pecker, but remembered that sister with 
the red hair. I came back to her by in- 
direction, however. 

‘‘ And how did you manage, lad, to be 
seeing Mistress Prudence, and her sister, 
and the child, and yet no others of the 
English ? A matter of dark nights and 
back windows ? Eh ? But come to think 
of it, there was a clear moon this day four 
weeks back, when you were at Annapolis.” 

‘‘No, Father,” answered Marc, “it was 
all much more simple and less advent- 
urous than that. Some short way out 
of the town is a little river, the Equille, 




The Forge in the Forest 


and a pleasant hidden glade set high upon 
its bank. It is a favoured resort of both 
the ladies ; and there I met them as often 
as I was permitted. Mizpah would 
sometimes choose to play apart with the 
child, down by the water's edge if the tide 
were full, so I had some gracious oppor- 
tunity with Prudence. — My time being 
brief, I made the most of it ! " he added 
drily. His quaint directness amused me 
mightily, and I chuckled as I shaped the 
red iron upon the anvil. 

“ And who," I inquired, “ is this kind 
sister, with the even redder hair, who goes 
away with such a timely discretion ? " 

“ Oh, yes,” said Marc, “ I forgot you 
knew nothing of her. She is Mistress 
Mizpah Hanford, the widow of a Cap- 
tain Hanford who was some far connection 
of the Governor’s. Her property is in and 
about Annapolis, and she lives there to 
manage it, keeping Prudence with her for 
companionship. Her child is four or five 
years old, a yellow-haired, rosy boy called 
Philip. She’s very tall, — a head taller 
than Prudence, and older, of course, by 


The Capture at the Forge 25 

perhaps eight years ; and very fair, though 
not so fair as Prudence; and altogether — ’’ 

But at this point I interrupted him. 

“ What’s the matter with the Indian ? ” 
I exclaimed, staring out across Marc’s 
shoulders. 

He sprang to his feet and looked around 
sharply. An Indian, carrying three shad 
strung upon a sapling, had just appeared 
on the road before the forge door. As 
he came in view he was reeling heavily, 
and clutching at his head. He dropped 
his fish ; and a moment later he himself 
fell headlong, and lay face downward in 
the middle of the road. I remember 
thinking that his legs sprawled childishly. 
Marc strolled over to him with slow in- 
difference. 

‘‘ Have a care ! ” I exclaimed. “ There 
may be some trap in it ! It looks not 
natural ! ” 

‘‘ What trap can there be ? ” asked 
Marc, turning the body over. It’s Red 
Moose, a Shubenacadie Micmac. I like 
not the breed ; but ever since he got a 
hurt on the head, in a fight at Canseau last 


26 The Forge in the Forest 


year, he has been subject to the falling 
sickness. Let us carry him to a shady 
place, and he'll come to himself pres- 
ently ! " 

I was at his side in a moment, and we 
stooped to lift the seemingly lifeless figure. 
In an instant its arms were about my neck 
in a strangling embrace. At the same 
time my own arms were seized. I heard 
a fierce cry from Marc, and a groan that 
was not his. The next moment, though 
I writhed and struggled with all my 
strength, I found myself bound hand and 
foot, and seated on the ground with my 
back against the door-post of the forge. 
Marc, bound like myself, lay by the road- 
side ; and a painted savage sat near him 
nursing with both hands a broken jaw. 
A dozen Micmacs stood about us. Lean- 
ing against the door-post over against me 
was the black-robed form of La Game. 
He eyed me, for perhaps ten seconds, 
with a smile of fine and penetrating sar- 
casm. Then he told his followers to 
stand Marc up against a tree. 


Chapter II 

The Black Abbe 


W HEN first I saw that smile on the 
Black Abbe’s face, and realized 
what had befallen us, I came nigh 
to bursting with rage, and was on the 
point of telling my captor some truths to 
make his ears tingle. But when I heard 
the order to stand Marc up against a tree 
my veins for an instant turned to ice. 
Many men — and some women, too, God 
help me, I then being bound and gagged, 
— had I seen thus stood up against a tree, 
and never but for one end. I could not 
believe that such an end was contemplated 
now, and that by a priest of the Church, 
however unworthy of his office ! But I 
checked my tongue and spoke the Abbe 
fair. 

“ It is quite plain to me, Monsieur,” 
27 


28 


The Forge in the Forest 


said I, quietly, that my son and I are the 
victims of some serious mistake, for which 
you will, I am sure, feel constrained to 
ask our pardon presently. I await your 
explanations.'' 

La Game, still smiling, looked me over 
slowly. Never before had I seen him 
face to face, though he had more than 
once traversed my line of vision. I had 
known the tireless figure, as tall, almost, 
as Marc himself, stoop-shouldered, but 
robust, now moving swiftly as if propelled 
by an energy irresistible, now languid with 
an affectation of indolence. But the face 
— I hated the possessor of it with a per- 
sonal hate the moment my eyes fell upon 
that face. Strong and inflexible was the 
gaunt, broad, and thin jaw, cruel and cun- 
ning the high, pinched forehead and nar- 
row-set, palely glinting eyes. The nose, 
in particular, greatly offended me, being 
very long, and thick at the end. “ I'll 
tweak it for him, one fine day," says I to 
myself, as I boiled under his steady smile. 

‘‘ There is no mistake. Monsieur de 
Briart, believe me ! " he said, still smiling. 


The Black Abbe 


29 


There could be no more fair words, of 
course, after that avowal. 

‘‘Then, Sir Priest,” said I, coldly, “you 
are both a madman and a scurvy rogue, 
and you shall yet be on your knees to me 
for this outrage. You will see then the 
nature of your mistake, I give you my 
word.” 

The priest's smile took on something 
of the complexion of a snarl. 

“ Don't be alarmed. Monsieur de Briart,” 
said he. “You are quite safe, because I 
know you for a good servant to France ; 
and for your late disrespect to Holy 
Church, in my person, while in talk with 
your pestilent son, these bonds may be 
a wholesome and sufficient lesson to 

I yy 

you ! 

“ You shall have a lesson sufficient 
rather than wholesome, I promise you ! ” 
said I. 

“ But as for this fellow,” went on the 
Abbe, without noticing my interruption, 
“ he is a spy. You understand how spies 
fare. Monsieur ! ” And a malignant light 
made his eyes appear like two points of 


30 The Forge in the Forest 

steel beneath the ambush of his ragged 
brows. 

I saw Marc's lean face flush thickly 
under the gross accusation. 

“ It is a lie, you frocked hound ! " he 
cried, careless of the instant peril in which 
he stood. 

But the Black Abbe never looked at 
him. 

I wish you joy of your son, a very 
good Englishman, Monsieur, and now, 
I fear, not long for this world," said he, 
in a tone of high civility. He has long 
been fouling with his slanders the names 
of those whom he should reverence, and 
persuading the people to the English. 
But now, after patiently waiting, I have 
proofs. His treachery shall hang him ! ” 

For a moment the dear lad's peril froze 
my senses, so that it was but dimly I 
heard his^oice, ringing with indignation 
as he hurled back the charge upon the 
lying lips that made it. 

‘Hf the home of lies be anywhere out 
of Hell, it is in your malignant mouth, 
you shame of the Church," he cried in de- 


The Black Abbe 


31 


fiance. “ There can be no proof that I 
am a spy, even as there can be no proof 
that you are other than a false-tongued 
assassin, defiling your sacred office.” 

It was the galling defiance of a savage 
warrior at the stake, and even in my fear 
my heart felt proud of it. The priest was 
not galled, however, by these penetrating 
insults. 

‘‘ As for the proofs,” said he, softly, 
never looking at Marc, but keeping his 
eyes on my face, “ Monsieur de Ramezay 
shall judge whether they be proofs or 
not. If he say they are not, I am con- 
tent.” 

At a sign, a mere turn of his head it 
seemed to me, the Indians loosed Marc’s 
feet to lead him away. 

‘‘Farewell, Father,” said he, in a firm 
voice, and turned upon me a look of 
unshakable courage. ^ 

“ Be of good heart, son,” I cried to 
him. “ I will be there, and this devil 
shall be balked ! ” 

“ You, Monsieur,” said the priest, still 
smiling, “will remain here for the present. 


32 


The Forge in the Forest 


To-night I will send a villager to loose 
your bonds. Then, by all means, come 
over and see Monsieur de Ramezay at 
Chignecto. I may not be there then 
myself, but this business of the spy will 
have been settled, for the commander 
does not waste time in such small mat- 
ters ! ” 

He turned away to follow his painted 
band, and I, shaking in my impotent 
rage and fear, called after him : — 

‘‘As God lives and is my witness, if 
the lad comes to any harm, these hands 
will visit it upon you an hundredfold, till 
you scream for death’s mercy ! ” 

But the Black Abbe moved off as if 
he heard no word, and left me a twisted 
heap upon the turf, gnawing fiercely at 
the tough deer-hide of my bonds. 


Chapter III 

Tamin’s Little Stratagem 

I HAD been gnawing, gnawing in an 
anguish at the thongs, for perhaps 
five minutes. There had been no more 
than time for the Abbe's wolf-pack to 
vanish by a turn of the road. Suddenly 
a keen blade slit the thongs that bound 
my wrists. Then my feet felt them- 
selves free. I sat up, astonished, and 
saw stooping over me the droll, broad 
face of Tamin the Fisher, — or Tamin 
Violet, as he was rightly, though sel- 
dom, called. His mouth was solemn, as 
always, having never been known to 
wear a smile ; but the little wrinkles 
laughed about his small bright eyes. I 
sprang up and grasped his hand. 

‘‘We must not lose a moment, Tamin, 
my friend ! ” I panted, dragging him into 
the thick shade of the wood. 


33 


34 The Forge in the Forest 


“ I was thinking you might be in a 
hurry, M’sieu,” said my rescuer. ‘‘But 
unless the mouse wants to be back in 
the same trap Fve just let it out of, 
you’d better keep still a half-minute 
and make up your mind. They’ve a 
round road to go, and we’ll go straight ! ” 

“You saw it all?” I asked, curbing 
myself as best I could, for I perceived 
the wisdom of his counsel. 

“ Oh, ay, M’sieu, I saw it ! ” re- 
plied the Fisher. “ And I laughed in 
my bones to hear the lad talk up to the 
good father. There was more than one 
shot went home, I warrant, for all the 
Black Abbe seemed so deaf. They’re fes- 
tering under his soutane even now, be- 
like ! ” 

“ But come ! ” said I. “ I’ve got my 
wind ! ” And we darted noiselessly through 
the cool of the great trees, turning a little 
east from the road. 

We ran silently for a space, my com- 
panion’s short but massive frame leap- 
ing, bending, gliding even as lightly as 
my own, which was ever as lithe as a 


Tamin’s Little Stratagem 


35 


weasel's. Tamin was a rare woodsman, 
as I marked straightway, though I had 
known him of old rather as a faithful 
tenant, and marvellously patient to sit in 
his boat all day a-fishing on the drift of 
the Minas tides. 

Presently he spoke, under his breath. 

“ Very like, ” said he, drily, “when we 
come up to them they will all fall down. 
So, we will take the lad and walk away ! 
eh, what, M'sieu ? " 

“ Only let us come up to them, " said I, 
“ and learn their plans. Then we will 
make ours ! " 

“ Something of theirs I know, " said 
Tamin. “ Their canoes are on the Ca- 
nard maybe three furlongs to east of the 
road. Thence they will carry the lad to 
de Ramezay, for the Black Abbe will have 
things in due form when he can conven- 
iently, and now it is plain he has a scheme 
well ripe. But if this wind holds, we’ll be 
there before them. My boat is lying hard 
by. ” 

“ God be praised ! ” I muttered ; for in 
truth I saw some light now for the first 


36 The Forge in the Forest 


time. Presently, drawing near the road 
again, I heard the voice of La Game. We 
at once went softly, and, avoiding again, 
made direct for where lay the canoes. 
There we disposed ourselves in a swampy 
thicket, with a little breadth of water 
lying before and all the forest behind. 
The canoes lay just across the little 
water, and so close that I might have 
tossed my cap into them. The clean 
smell of the wet salt sedge came freshly 
into the thicket. The shadows lay long 
on the water. We had time to grow quiet, 
till our breathing was no longer hasty, our 
blood no longer thumped in our ears. A 
flock of sand-pipers, with thin cries, 
settled to feed on the red clay between the 
canoes and the edge of the tide. Suddenly 
they got up, and puffed away in a flicker 
of white breasts and brown wings ; and I 
laid a hand on Tamin’s shoulder. The 
painted band, Marc in their midst. La 
Game in front, were coming down the 
slope. 

The lad's face was stern and scornful. 
To my joy I saw that there was to be no 


Tamin*s Little Stratagem 


37 


immediate departure. The redskins flung 
themselves down indolently. The Black 
Abbe saw his prisoner made fast to a tree, 
and then, telling his followers that he had 
duties at Pereau which would keep him 
till past sunset, strode off swiftly up the 
trail. Tamin and I, creeping as silend''^' 
as snakes back into the forest, follow 
him. 

For half an hour we followed hii 
keeping pace for pace through the shad(j^ 
of the wood. Then said I softly o 
Tamin : — 

“ This is my quarrel, my friend ! I 'o 
you keep back, and not bring down 1 is 
vengeance on your head. ” 

“That for his vengeance!” whisper d 
Tamin, with a derisive gesture. “ I w 
take service with de Ramezay, as a regular 
soldier of France I ” 

“Even there,” said I, “his arm mig -t 
reach and pluck you forth. Keep bar!: 
now, and let him not see your face 1 ” 

“Priest though he be, M’sieu,” urg'd 
Tamin, anxiously, “ he is a mighty man ot 
his hands 1 ” 


38 The Forge In the Forest 


I turned upon him a face of scorn 
which he found sufficient answer. Then, 
signing to him to hold off, I sped forward 
silently. No weapon had I but a light 
stick of green ash, just cut. There was 
smooth, mossy ground along the trail, and 
my running feet made no more sound 
than a cat’s. I was within a pace of spring- 
ing upon his neck, when he must have felt 
my coming. He turned like a flash, 
uttered a piercing signal cry, and whipped 
out a dagger. 

They’ll never hear it, ” mocked I, and 
sent the dagger spinning with a smart pass 
of my stick. The same stroke went nigh 
to breaking his wrist. He grappled bravely, 
however, as I took him by the throat, and 
I was astonished at his force and supple- 
ness. Nevertheless the struggle was but 
brief, and the result a matter to be sworn 
to beforehand ; for I, though not of great 
stature, am stronger than any other man, 
big or little, with whom I have ever come 
to trial ; and more than that, when I was 
a prisoner among the English, I learned 
their shrewd fashion of wrestling. In a 


Tamili’s Little Stratagem 


39 


little space the Black Abbe lay choked 
into submission, after which I bound him 
in a way to endure, and seated him against 
a tree. Behind him I caught view of 
Tamin, gesturing drolly, whereat I laughed 
till I marked an amazement growing in 
the priest’s malignant eyes. 

“How like you my lesson, good 
Father ? ” I inquired. 

But he only glared upon me. I sup- 
pose, having no speech that would fitly 
express his feelings, he conceived that his 
silence would be most eloquent. But I 
could see that my next move startled him. 
With my knife I cut a piece from my 
shirt, and made therewith a neat gag. 

“ Though you seem so dumb at this 
present,” said I, “ I suspect that you 
might find a tongue after my departure. 
Therefore I must beseech you to wear 
this ornament, for my sake, for a little.” 
And very civilly prying his teeth open, I 
adjusted the gag. 

“ Do not be afraid ! ” I continued. “ I 
will leave you in this discomfort no 
longer than you thought it necessary to 


40 The Forge in the Forest 


leave me so. You shall be free after to- 
morrow's sunrise, if not before. Farewell, 
good Father, and may you rest well ! 
Let me borrow this ring as a pledge for 
the safe return of the fragment of my 
good shirt which you hold so obstinately 
between your teeth ! " And drawing his 
ring from his finger I turned away and 
plunged into the forest, where Tamin 
presently joined me. 

Tamin chuckled, deep in his stomach. 

My turn now ! " said he. ‘‘ Give me 
the ring, M'sieu, and Fll give you the 
boy ! ” 

I see you take me ! " said I, highly 
pleased at his quick discernment. 

We now made way at leisure back to 
the canoes, and our plans ripened as we 
went. 

Before we came within hearing of the 
Indians I gave over the ring with final 
directions, to Tamin, and then hastened 
toward the point of land which runs far 
out beyond the mouth of the Habitants. 
Around this point, as I knew, lay the 
little creek-mouth wherein Tamin kept 


Tamm’s Little Stratagem 


41 


his boat. Beyond the point, perchance a 
furlong, was a narrow sand-spit covered 
deep at every flood tide. In a thicket of 
fir bushes on the bluff over against this 
sand-spit I lay down to wait for what 
Tamin should bring to pass. I had some 
little time to wait; and here let me unfold, 
as I learned it after, what Tamin did whilst 
I waited. 

About sunset, the tide being far out, 
and the Indians beginning to expect their 
Abbe’s return, came Tamin to them run- 
ning in haste along the trail from Pereau, 
as one who carried orders of importance. 
Going straight to the chief, he pointed de- 
risively at Marc, whose back was towards 
him, and cried : — 

“ The good father commands that you 
take this dog of a spy straightway to the 
sand-spit that lies off the point yonder. 
There you will drive a strong stake into 
the sand, and bind the fellow to it, and 
leave him there, and return here to await 
the Abbe’s coming. You shall do no 
hurt to the spy, and set no mark upon 
him. When the tide next ebbs you will go 


42 


The Forge in the Forest 


again to the sand-spit and bring his body 
back ; and if the Abbe finds any mark 
upon him, you will get no pay for this 
venture. You will make your camp here 
to-night, and if the good father be not 
returned to you by sunrise to-morrow, 
you will go to meet him along the Pereau 
trail, for he will be in need of you.” 

The tall chief grunted, and eyed him 
doubtfully. After a brief contemplation 
he inquired, in broken French: — 

‘‘ How know you no lie to me ^ ” 

“ Here is the holy father's ring, in war- 
ranty ; and you shall give it back to him 
when he comes.” 

“It is well,” said the chief, taking the 
ring, and turning to give some commands 
in his own guttural tongue. Tamin re- 
peated his message word by word, then 
strode away ; and before he got out of 
sight he saw two canoes put off for the 
sand-spit. Then he made all haste to 
join me on the point. 

Long before he arrived the canoes had 
come stealing around the point and were 
drawn up on the treacherous isle of sand. 







Tamin's Little Stratagem 


43 


My heart bled for the horror of death 
which, as I knew, must now be clutching 
at Marc’s soul ; but I kept telling myself 
how soon I would make him glad. It 
wanted yet three hours or more till the 
tide should cover the sand-spit. I lay 
very still among the young fir trees, so 
that a wood-mouse ran within an arm’s 
length of my face, till it caught the mov- 
ing of my eyes and scurried off with a 
frightened squeak. I heard the low 
change in the note of the tide as the 
first of the flood began to creep in upon 
the weeds and pebbles. Then with some 
farewell taunts, to which Marc answered 
not a word, the savages went again to 
their canoes and paddled off swiftly. 

When they had become but specks on 
the dim water, I doflFed my clothes, took 
my knife between my teeth, and swam 
across to the sand-spit. There was a low 
moon, obscured by thin and slowly drift- 
ing clouds, and as I swam through the 
faint trail of it, Marc must have seen me 
coming. Nevertheless he gave no sign, 
and I could see that his head drooped for- 


44 


The Forge in the Forest 


ward upon his breast. An awful fear came 
down upon me, and for a second or two I 
was like to sink, so numb I turned at the 
thought that perchance the savages had 
put the knife to him before quitting. I 
recovered, however, as I called to mind 
the orders which Tamin had rehearsed to 
me ere starting on his venture ; for I 
knew how sorely the Black Abbe was 
feared by his savage flock. What they 
deemed him to have commanded, that 
would they do. 

Drawing closer now, I felt the ground 
beneath my feet. 

“ Marc,” I called softly, Fm coming, 
lad ! ” 

The drooped head was lifted. 

“ Father ! ” he exclaimed. And there 
was something like a sob in that cry of 
joy. It caught my heart strangely, telling 
me he was still a boy for all he had borne 
himself so manfully in the face of sudden 
and appalling peril. Now the long ten- 
sion was loosed. He was alone with me. 
As I sprang to him and cut the thongs 
that held him, one arm went about my 


Tamin’s Little Stratagem 


45 


neck and I was held very close for the 
space of some few heart-beats. Then he 
fetched a deep breath, stretched his cramped 
limbs this way and that, and said simply, 
“ I knew you would come. Father ! I 
knew you would find a way ! ” 


Chapter IV 

The Governor’s Signature 


HE clouds slipped clear of the 



A moon’s face, and we three — 
Marc, I, and the stake — cast sudden 
long black shadows which led all the way- 
down to the edge of the increeping tide. 
I looked at the shadows, and a shudder 
passed through me as if a cold hand had 
been laid upon my back. Marc stood off 
a little, — never have I seen such quick 
control, such composure, in one so inex- 
perienced, — and remarked to me : — 

“What a figure of a man you are. 
Father, to be sure !” 

I fell into his pretence of lightness at 
once, a high relief after the long and 
deadly strain ; and I laughed with some 
pleasure at the praise. In very truth, I 
cherished a secret pride in my body. 


The Governor’s Signature 


47 


’Tis well enough, no doubt, in a dim 
light,” said I, though by now surely 
somewhat battered ! ” 

Marc was already taking off his clothes. 
As he knotted them into a convenient 
bundle, there came from the woods, a 
little way back of the point, the hollow 
Too-hoo-hoo-whoo-oo ! ” of the small 
gray owl. 

‘‘ There’s Tamin ! ” said I, and was on 
the point of answering in like fashion, 
when the cry was reiterated twice. 

“ That means danger, and much need 
of haste for us,” I growled. Together 
we ran down into the tide, striking out 
with long strokes for the fine white line 
that seethed softly along the dark base of 
the point. I commended the lad might- 
ily for his swimming, as we scrambled 
upon the beach and slipped swiftly into 
our clothes. Though carrying his bundle 
on his head, he had given me all I could 
do to keep abreast of him. 

We climbed the bluff, and ran through 
the wet, keen-scented bushes toward 
the creek where lay the boat. Ere we 


48 The Forge in the Forest 


had gone half-way Tamin met us, breath- 
less. 

What danger ? I asked. 

“ I think they’re coming back to tuck 
the lad in for the night, and see that 
he’s comfortable ! ” replied Tamin, pant- 
ing heavily. I heard paddles when they 
should have been long out of earshot.” 

“ Something has put them in doubt ! ” 
said Marc. 

Sure,” said I, and not strange, if one 
but think of it ! ” 

‘^Yet I told them a fair tale,” panted 
Tamin, as he went on swiftly toward his 
boat. 

The boat lay yet some yards above the 
edge of tide, having been run aground 
near high water. The three of us were 
not long in dragging her down and get- 
ting her afloat. Then came the question 
that was uppermost. 

“Which way?” asked Tamin, laconi- 
cally, taking the tiller, while Marc stood 
by to hoist the dark and well-patched sail. 

I considered the wind for some mo- 


ments. 


The Governor’s Signature 49 

‘‘ For Chignecto ! ” said I, with empha- 
sis. “We must see de Ramezay and settle 
this hound La Game. Otherwise Marc 
stands in hourly peril.” 

As the broad sail drew, and the good 
boat, leaning well over, gathered way, 
and the small waves swished and gurgled 
merrily under her quarter, I could hardly 
withhold from laughing for sheer glad- 
ness. Marc was already smoking with 
great composure beside the mast, his lean 
face thoughtful, but untroubled. He 
looked, I thought, almost as old as his 
war-battered sire who now watched him 
with so proud an eye. Presently I heard 
Tamil! fetch a succession of mighty 
breaths, as he emptied and filled the 
ample bellows of his lungs. He snatched 
the green and yellow cap of knitted wool 
from his head, and let the wind cool the 
sweating black tangle that coarsely thatched 
his broad skull. 

“ Hein ! ” he exclaimed, with a droll 
glance at Marc, “that’s better than that!"' 
And he made an expressive gesture as of 
setting a knife to his scalp. To me this 


50 The Forge in the Forest 


seemed much out of place and time ; but 
Tamin was ever privileged in the eyes of 
a de Mer, so I grumbled not. As for 
Marc, that phantom of a smile, which I 
had already learned to watch for, just 
touched his lips, as he remarked calmly : 

“ Vraiment, much better. That, as you 
call it, my Tamin, came so near to-night 
that my scalp needs no cooling since ! ” 

‘‘But whither steering?'’ I inquired; 
for the boat was speeding south-eastward, 
straight toward Grand Pre. 

Tamin’s face told plainly that he had 
his reasons, and I doubted not that they 
were good. For some moments that 
wide, grave mouth opened not to make 
reply, while the little, twinkling, contra- 
dictory eyes were fixed intently on some 
far-off landmark, to me invisible. This 
point being made apparently to his satis- 
faction, he relaxed and explained. 

“ You see, M’sieu,” said he, “ we must 
get under the loom o’ the shore, so’s we’ll 
be out of sight when the canoes come round 
the point. If they see a sail, at this time 
o’ night, they’ll suspicion the whole thing 


The Governor's Signature 51 


and be after us. Better let 'em amuse 
themselves for a spell hunting for the lad 
on dry land, so's we won’t be rushed. 
Been enough rush ! ” 

‘‘Yes! Yes!” assented I, scanning 
eagerly the point behind us. And Marc 
said : — 

“Very great is your sagacity, my Tamin. 
The Black Abbe fooled himself when he 
forgot to take you into his reckoning ! ” 

At this speech the little wrinkles 
gathered thicker about Tamin's eyes. 
At length, deeming us to have gone far 
enough to catch the loom of the land, as 
it lay for one watching from the sand-spit, 
Tamin altered our course, and we ran up 
the basin. Just then we marked two 
canoes rounding the point. They were 
plainly visible to us, and I made sure we 
should be seen at once ; but a glance at 
Tamin's face reassured me. The Fisher 
understood, as few even among old woods- 
men understand it, the lay of the shadow- 
belts on a wide water at night. 

Noiselessly we lowered our sail and lay 
drifting, solicitous to mark what the sav- 


52 The Forge in the Forest 


ages might do. The sand-spit was by this 
so small that from where we lay it was not 
to be discerned ; but we observed the 
Indians run their canoes upon it, disem- 
bark, and stoop to examine the footprints 
in the sand. In a moment or two they 
embarked again, and paddled straight to 
the point. 

“ Shrewd enough !” said Marc. 

^^Yes,'' said I, ‘^and now they’ll track 
us straight to Tamin’s creek, and under- 
stand that we’ve taken the boat. But they 
won’t know what direction we’ve taken ! ” 

‘^No, M’sieu,” muttered Tamin, “but 
no use loafing round here till they find 
. out ! ” 

Which being undoubted wisdom of 
Tamin’s, we again hoisted sail and con- 
tinued our voyage. 

Having run some miles up the Basin, 
we altered our course and stood straight 
across for the northern shore. We now 
felt secure from pursuit, holding it highly 
improbable that the savages would guess 
our purpose and destination. As we sat 
contenting our eyes with the great belly- 


The Governors Signature 53 


ing of the sail, and the fine flurries of 
spray that ever and again flashed up from 
our speeding prow, and the silver-blue 
creaming of our wake, Marc gave us a 
surprise. Thrusting his hand into the 
bosom of his shirt he drew out a packet 
and handed it to me. 

Here, perhaps, are the proofs on which 
the gentle Abbe relied ! ” said he. 

Taking the packet mechanically, I stared 
at the lad in astonishment. But there was 
no information to be gathered from that 
inscrutable countenance, so I presently rec- 
ollected myself, and unfolded the papers. 
There were two of them. The moon was 
partly clear at the moment, and I made 
out the first to be an order, written in 
English, on one Master Nathaniel Ap- 
thorp, merchant, of Boston, directing him 
to pay Master Marc de Mer, of Grand 
Pre in Nova Scotia, the sum of two hun- 
dred and fifty pounds. It was signed 
Paul Mascarene, Gov^ of Nova Scotia.'' 
The other paper was written in finer and 
more hasty characters, and I could not 
decipher it in the uncertain light. But 


54 


The Forge in the Forest 


the signature was the same as that ap- 
pended to the order on Mr. Apthorp. 

‘‘ I cannot decipher this one, in this bad 
light,*' said I ; “ but what does it all mean, 
Marc ? How comes the English Gov- 
ernor to be owing you two hundred and 
fifty pounds ? ** 

“ Does he owe me two hundred and 
fifty pounds ? That’s surely news of in- 
terest ! ” said Marc. 

I looked at him, amazed. 

“ Do you mean to say that you don’t 
know what is in these papers ? ” I inquired, 
handing them back. 

“ How should I know that ? ” said 
Marc, with a calmness which was not a 
little irritating. “ They were placed in my 
pocket by the good Abbe ; and since then 
my opportunities of reading have been but 
scant ! ” 

Tamin ejaculated a huge grunt of indig- 
nant comprehension ; and I, beholding all 
at once the whole wicked device, threw up 
my hands and fell to whistling an idle air. 
It seemed to me a case for which curses 
would seem but tame and pale. 


The Governor’s Signature 55 


“ This other, then,” said I, presently, 

must be a letter that would seem to have 
been written to you by the Governor, and 
worded in such a fashion as to compro- 
mise you plainly ! ” 

‘‘’Tis altogether probable. Father,” re- 
plied Marc, musingly, as he scanned the 
page. He was trying to prove his own 
eyesight better than mine, but found the 
enterprise beyond him, — as I knew he 
would. 

I can make out nothing of this other, 
save the signature,” he continued. ‘‘We 
must even wait for daylight. And in the 
meanwhile I think you had better keep 
the packet. Father, for I feel my wits and 
my experience something lacking in this 
snarl.” 

I took the papers and hid them in a 
deep pocket which I wore within the bosom 
of my shirt. 

“ The trap was well set, and deadly, 
lad,” said I, highly pleased at his confi- 
dence in my wisdom to conduct the affair. 
“ But trust me to spring it. Whatever 
this other paper may contain, de Ramezay 


56 The Forge in the Forest 


shall see them both and understand the 
whole plot.’’ 

‘‘ ’Twill be hard to explain away,” said 
Marc, doubtfully, ‘‘ if it be forged with any 
fair degree of skill !” 

‘‘Trust my credit with de Ramezay for 
that. It is something the Black Abbe has 
not reckoned upon ! ” said I, with assur- 
ance, stuffing my pipe contentedly with 
the right Virginia leaf. Marc, being well 
tired with all that he had undergone that 
day, laid his head on the cuddy and was 
presently sound asleep. In a low voice, 
not to disturb the slumberer, I talked with 
Tamin, and learned how he had chanced 
to come so pat upon me in my bonds. 
He had been on the way up to the Forge, 
coming not by the trail, but straight 
through the forest, when he caught a view 
of the Indians, and took alarm at the 
stealth of their approach. He had tracked 
them with a cunning beyond their own, 
and so achieved to outdo them with their 
own weapons. 

The moon now swam clear in the naked 
sky, the clouds lying far below. By the 


The Governor’s Signature 57 


broad light I could see very well to read 
the letter. It was but brief, and ran 
thus : — 

To my good Friend and trusted Helper Monsieur 

Marc de Mer : — 

Dear Sir, — As touching the affair which 
you have so prudently carried through, and my 
gratitude for your so good help, permit the en- 
closed order on Master Apthorp to speak for 
me. If I might hope that you would find it in 
your heart and within your convenience to put 
me under yet weightier obligations, I would be 
so bold as to desire an exact account of the 
forces at Chignecto, and of the enterprize upon 
which Monsieur de Ramezay is purposing to 
employ them. 

Believe me to be, my dear Sir, yours with 
high esteem and consideration, 

Paul Mascarene. 

With a wonder of indignation I read it 
through, and then again aloud to Tamin, 
who cursed the author with such ingenious 
Acadian oaths as made me presently smile. 

“ It is right shrewdly devised,” said I, 
“ but the deviser knew little of the blunt 


58 The Forge in the Forest 


English Governor, or never would he have 
made him write with such courtly circum- 
locutions. De Ramezay, very like, will 
have seen communications of Mascarene's 
before now, and will scarce fail to note the 
disagreement.” 

‘‘The fox has been known to file his 
tongue too smooth,” said Tamin, senten- 
tiously. 

By this we were come over against the 
huge black front of Blomidon, but our 
course lay far outside the shadow of his 
frown, in the silvery run of the seas. The 
moon floated high over tht great Cape, 
yellow as gold, and the bare sky was like 
an unruffled lake. Far behind us opened 
the mouth of the Piziquid stream, a bright 
gap in the dark but vague shore-line. On 
our right the waters unrolled without ob- 
struction till they mixed pallidly with the 
sky in the mouth of Cobequid Bay. Five 
miles ahead rose the lofty shore which 
formed the northern wall of Minas Chan- 
nel, — grim and forbidding enough by 
day ; but now, in such fashion did the 
moonlight fall along it, wearing a face of 


The Governor’s Signature 59 


fairyland, and hinting of fountained pal- 
aces in its glens and high hollows. After 
I had filled my heart with the fairness and 
the wonder of it, I lay down upon a thwart 
and fell asleep- 


Chapter V 

In the Run of the Seas 

I T seemed as if I had but fairly got my 
eyes shut, when I was awakened by a 
violent pitching of the boat. I sat up, 
grasping the gunwale, and saw Marc just 
catching my knee to rouse me. The boat, 
heeling far over, and hauled close to the 
wind, was heading a little up the channel 
and straight for a narrow inlet which I 
knew to be the joint mouth of two small 
rivers. 

“ Where are you going ? Why is our 
course changed ? ” I asked sharply, being 
nettled by a sudden notion that they had 
made some change of plan without my 
counsel. 

“ Look yonder. Father ! said Marc, 
pointing. 

I looked, and my heart shook with 

6o 


mingled wrath and apprehension. Be- 
hind us followed three canoes, urged on 
by sail and paddle. 

They outsail us ? I inquired. 

‘‘Ay, before the wind, they do, M'sieu ! ** 
said Tamin. “ On this tack, maybe not. 
Wedl soon see ! 

“ But what’s this but a mere trap we 
are running our heads into ? ” I urged. 

“ I fear there’s nothing else but to quit 
the boat and make through the woods. 
Father,” explained Marc ; “ that is, if 
we’re so fortunate as to keep ahead till we 
reach land.” 

“In the woods, I suppose, we can out- 
wit them or outfoot them,” said I ; “ but 
those Micmacs are untiring on the trail.” 

“ I know a good man with a good boat 
over by Shulie on the Fundy shore,” in- 
terposed Tamin. “And I know the way 
over the hills. We’ll cheat the rogue of 
a priest yet ! ” And he shrewdly meas- 
ured the distance that parted us from 
our pursuers. 

“ It galls me to be running from these 
dogs ! ” I growled. 


62 


The Forge in the Forest 


“ Our turn will come,” said Marc, 
glowering darkly at the canoes. “ Do 
you guess the Black Abbe is with 
them ? ” 

‘‘ Not he ! ” grunted Tamin. 

‘‘ Things may happen this time,” said 
I, and the good father may wish to keep 
his soutane clear of them. It's all plain 
enough to me now. The Indians, find- 
ing themselves tricked, have gone back on 
the Pereau trail and most inopportunely 
have released the gentle Abbe from his 
bonds. He has seen through our game, 
and has sent his pack to look to it that 
we never get to de Ramezay. But he 
will have no hand in it. Oh, no ! ” 

What's plain to me now,” interrupted 
Tamin, with some anxiety in his voice, 
is that they're gaining on us fast. 
They've put down leeboards ; an' wfith 
leeboards down a Micmac canoe's hard 
to beat.” 

Oh ! ” I exclaimed bitterly, “ if we 
had but our muskets ! Fool , that I 
was, thus to think to save time and not 
go back for our weapons ! Trust me. 


In the Run of the Seas 63 


ladj it's the first time that Jean de Mer 
has had that particular kind of folly to 
repent of! " 

“ But there was nought else for it/' 
Father," said Marc. ‘‘And if, as seems 
most possible, we come to close quarters 
presently, we are not so naked as we 
might be. Here's your two pistols, my 
good whinger, and Tamin's fishy dirk. 
And Tamin's gaff here will make a 
pretty lance. It is borne in upon me 
that some of the good Abbe's lambs will 
bleat for their shepherd before this night's 
work be done 1 " 

There was a steady light in his eyes 
that rejoiced me much, and his voice rose 
and fell as if fain to break into a war 
song ; and I said to myself, “ The boy 
is a fighter, and the fire is in his blood, 
for all his scholar's prating of peace ! " 
Yet he straightway turned his back upon 
the enemy and with great indifference went 
to filling his pipe. 

“Ay, an' there be a right good gun in 
the cuddy ! " grunted Tamin, after a sec- 
ond or two of silence. 


64 The Forge in the Forest 


‘‘The saints be praised!” said I. And 
Marc’s long arm reached in to capture it. 
It was a huge weapon, and my heart beat 
high at sight of it. Marc caressed it for 
an instant, then reluctantly passed it to 
me, with the powder-horn. 

“ I can shoot, a little, myself,” said he, 
“ but I would be presumptuous to boast 
when you were by. Father 1 ” 

“Ay, vraiment,” said Tamin, sharply ; 
“don’t think you can shoot with the Sieur 
de Briart yet I ” 

“ I don’t,” replied Marc, simply, as he 
handed me out a pouch of bullets and a 
pouch of slugs. 

The pursuing canoes were by this come 
within fair range. There came a strident 
hail from the foremost : — 

“ Lay to, or we shoot 1 ” 

“ Shoot, dogs I ” I shouted, ramming 
home the good measure of powder which 
I had poured into my hand. I followed 
it with a fair charge of slugs, and was 
wadding it loosely, when — 

“ Duck ! ” cries Tamin, bobbing his 
head lower than the tiller. 


In the Run of the Seas 65 


Neither Marc nor I moved a hair. 
But we gazed at the canoes. On the 
instant two red flames blazed out, with 
a redoubled bang ; and one bullet went 
through the sail a little above my head. 

“ Not bad ! ” said Marc, glancing tran- 
quilly at the bullet hole. 

But for my own part, I was angry. 
To be fired upon thus, at a priest’s orders, 
by a pack of scurvy savages in the pay of 
our own party, — never before had Jean 
de Briart been put to such indignity. I 
kneeled, and took a very cautious aim, — 
not, however, at the savages, but at the 
bow of the nearest canoe. 

Tamin’s big gun clapped like a cannon, 
and kicked my shoulder very vilely. But 
the result of the shot was all that we could 
desire. As I made haste to load again I 
noticed that the savage in the bow had 
fallen backward in his place, hit by a stray 
slug. The bulk of the charge, however, 
had torn a great hole in the bark, close to 
the water-line. 

“ You’ve done it. Father ! ” said Marc, 
in a " of quiet exultation. 


66 


The Forge in the Forest 


“ Hein ! ” grunted Tamin. “ They 
don’t like the wet ! ” 

The canoe was going down by the 
bow. The other two craft ranged hur- 
riedly alongside, and took in the gesticu- 
lating crew, — all but one, whom they 
left in the stern to paddle the damaged 
canoe to land, being loth to lose a service- 
able craft. With broken bow high in air 
the canoe spun around, and sped off up 
the Basin before the wind. The remain- 
ing two resumed the chase of us. We 
had gained a great space during the con- 
fusion, yet they came up upon us fast. 

But now, ere I judged them to be 
within gunshot, they slackened speed. 

“ They think better of it ! ” ' said I, 
raising the gun again to my shoulder. 
As I did so they sheered off in haste to 
a safer distance. 

‘‘ They are not such fools as I had 
hoped ! ” said Marc. 

‘‘ I so far flatter myself as to think,” 
said I, with some complacency, “ that 
they won’t trust themselves willingly again 
within range of this good barker.” 


In the Run of the Seas 67 


By this we were come well within the 
wide mouth of the estuary, and a steep, 
wooded point thrust out upon our right. 
All at once I muttered a curse upon my 
dulness. 

‘‘ What fools we are, to be sure ! ” 
I cried. “No reason that we should 
toil across the mountains to your good 
man’s good boat at Shulie, my Tamin. 
Put her about, and we’ll sail in comfort 
around to Chignecto ; and let these fel- 
lows come in range again at their peril ! ” 

“ To be sure, indeed ! ” grunted T amin ; 
and with a lurch and great flapping we 
went about. 

The canoes, indeed, now fled before us 
with excellent discretion. Our new course 
carried us under the gloom of the promon- 
tory, whence, in a few minutes, we shot out 
again into the moonlight. It was pleas- 
ant to see our antagonists making such 
courteous haste to give us room. I could 
not forbear to chuckle over it, and wished 
mightily that the Black Abbe were in one 
of the canoes. 

“ I fear me there’s to be no work for 


68 


The Forge in the Forest 


Tamin's fishy dirk or my good whinger/' 
sighed Marc, with a nice air of melan- 
choly ; and Tamin, with the little wrinkles 
thicker than ever about his eyes, yelled 
droll taunts after our late pursuers. In 
fact, we were all three in immense high 
feather, — when on a sudden there came a 
crashing bump that tumbled us headlong, 
the mast went overboard, and there we 
were stuck fast upon a sharp rock. The 
boat was crushed in like an egg-shell, and 
lay over on her side. The short, chop- 
ping seas huddled upon us in a smother. 
As I rose up, sputtering, I took note of 
Tamin's woollen cap washing away debo- 
nairly, snatched off, belike, by a taut rope 
as the mast fell. Then, clinging all three 
to the topmost gunwale, the waves jump- 
ing and sousing us derisively, we stared at 
each other in speechless dismay. But a 
chorus of triumphant screeches from the 
canoes, as they noted our mishap and made 
to turn, brought us to our senses. 

“ Nothing for it but to swim ! " said I, 
thrusting down the now useless musket 
into the cuddy, where I hoped it might 


In the Run of the Seas 69 


stay in case the wrecked boat should drift 
ashore. It was drenched, of course, and 
something too heavy to swim with. I 
emptied the slugs from my pocket. 
Tamin ducked his head under water and 
fumbled in the cuddy till I was on the 
point of plucking him forth, fearing he 
would drown, — Marc, meanwhile, look- 
ing on tranquilly and silently, with that 
fleeting remembrance of a smile. But 
now Tamin arose, gasping, with a small 
sack and a salted hake in his hands. The 
fish he passed over to me. 

Bread, M’sieu ! ” said he, holding up 
the drenched sack in triumph. Now 
for the woods ! '' 

'Twas but the toss of a biscuit to shore, 
and we had gained it ere our enemies were 
come within gunshot. Running swiftly 
along the strip of beach that skirted the 
steep, we put the shoulder of the cape 
between, and were safe from observation 
for a few minutes. 

To the woods, M’sieu ! ” cried Tamin, 
in a suppressed voice. 

No ! ” said I, sternly. Straight 


yo The Forge in the Forest 


along the beach, till I give the word to 
turn in ! Follow me ! ” 

“ 'Tis the one chance, to get out of 
sight now ! grumbled Tamin, running 
beside me, and clutching at his wet sack 
of bread. 

Don’t you suppose he knows what 
he is doing, my Tamin ? interrupted 
Marc. ‘‘ ’Tis for you and me to obey 
orders ! ” 

Tamin growled, but said no more. 

“ Now in with you to cover,” I com- 
manded, waving my salt fish as it had 
been a marshal’s baton. At the same 
moment I turned, ran up the wet slope 
where a spring bubbled out of the wood’s 
edge and spread itself over the stones, and 
sprang behind a thick screen of viburnums. 
My companions were beside me on the 
instant, — but it was not an instant too 
soon. As we paused to look back, there 
were the canoes coming furiously around 
the point. 

Staying not long to observe them, I 
led the way straight into the darkness of 
the woods, aiming for the seashore at the 


In the Run of the Seas 


71 


other side of the point. But Tamin was 
not satisfied. 

Our road lies straight up yon river/* 
said he. 

My friend/* said I, ‘^we must e’en 
find another road to Shulie. Those fel- 
lows will be sure to agree that we have 
gone that way. Knowing that I am a 
cunning woodsman, they will say, ‘ He will 
make them to run in the water, and so 
leave no trail.’ And they will give hot 
chase up the river.” 

But there be two rivers,” objected 
Tamin. 

Bien,” said I, “ they will divide their 
pirty, and give hot chase up two rivers ! ” 
“ And in the meanwhile ^ ” inquired 
Marc. 

‘ I’ll find the way to Shulie,” said I. 
“ The stars and the sun are guide enough ! 
I know the main lay of all these coasts.” 


Chapter VI 


Grul 


HE undergrowth into which we had 



now come was thick and hinder- 


ing, so there was no further chance of 
speech. A few minutes more and we 
came out upon the seaward slope of the 
point. We pushed straight down to the 
water, here sheltered from the wind and 
little troubled. That our footprints 
might be hidden, at least for a time, ve 
ran, one behind the other, along the lip 
of the tide, where the water was about 
ankle deep. In the stillness our spla:|h- 
ing sounded dangerously loud, and Tanin, 
yet in a grumbling humour, spoke of it 
‘‘ But you forget, my friend,” said! I, 
gently, “that there is noise and to spare 
where our enemies are, — across there in 
the wind ! ” 


72 


Grul 


73 


In a moment Tamin spoke again, point- 
ing some little way ahead. 

‘‘The land drops away yonder, M'sieu, 
’twixt the point and the main shore ! ” he 
growled, with conspicuous anxiety in his 
voice. He was no trembler; but it fretted 
him to be taking what he deemed the 
weaker course. “ Nothing,'' he added, 
“ but a bit of bare beach that the waves 
go over at spring tides when the wind's 
down the Basin ! " 

I paused in some dismay. But my 
mind was made up. 

“We must go on," said I. “ But we 
will stoop low, and lose no time in the 
passage. They'll scarce be landed yet." 

And now, as I came to see how low 
indeed that strip of perilous beach was, I 
somewhat misdoubted of success in getting 
by unseen. But we went a little deeper in 
the tide, and bowed our bodies with great 
humbleness, and so passed over with painful 
effort but not a little speed. Being come 
again under shelter, we straightened our- 
selves, well pleased, fetched a deep breath 
or two, and ran on with fresh celerity. 


74 The Forge in the Forest 


But if a redskin should think to 
step over the beach, there’d be our goose 
cooked ! ” muttered Tamin. 

“Well said!” I answered. “There- 
fore let us strike inland at once ! ” And 
I led the way again into the darkness of 
the forest. 

Dark as it was, there was yet light 
enough from the moon to enable me to 
direct my course as I wished. I struck 
well west of the course which would have 
taken us most speedily to Shulie, being 
determined to avoid the valley of the 
stream which I considered our pursuers 
were most likely to ascend. To satisfy 
Tamings doubts I explained my purpose, 
which was to aim straight for Shulie as 
soon as we were over the water-shed. 
And I must do him the justice to say 
he was content, beginning now to come 
more graciously to my view. We went 
but slowly, climbing, ever climbing. At 
times we would be groping through a 
great blackness of hemlocks. Again the 
forest would be more open, a mingling 
of fir trees, and birches, and maples. 








Grul 


75 


Coming at last to more level ground, 
we were still much hindered by innu- 
merable rocks, amid which the under- 
brush and wild vines prepared pitfalls for 
our weary feet. But I was not yet will- 
ing to call a halt for breath. On, on we 
stumbled, the wet branches buffeting our 
faces, but a cool and pleasant savour 
of the wild herbs which we trod upon 
ever exhaling upwards to refresh our 
senses. As we crossed a little grassy 
glade, I observed that Marc had come 
to Tamin’s help, and was carrying the 
sack of bread. I observed, also, that 
Tamin’s face was drawn with fatigue, 
and that he went with a kind of dogged 
heaviness. I took pity upon him. We 
had put, I guessed, good miles between 
ourselves and our pursuers, and I felt 
that we were, in all reason, safe for the 
time. At the further limit of the glade 
there chattered a shallow brook, whose 
sweet noise reminded me that I was 
parched with thirst. The pallor of first 
dawn was now coming into the sky, and 
the tree tops began to lift and float in 


76 The Forge in the Forest 


an aerial grayness. I glanced at Marc, 
and his eyes met mine with a keen 
brightness that told me he was yet un- 
wearied. Nevertheless I cried: — 

“ Halt, and fall out for breakfast.” 
And with the words I flung myself down 
by the brook, thrust my burning face 
into the babbling chill of it, and drank 
luxuriously. Tamin was beside me in an 
instant; but Marc slaked his thirst at 
more leisure, when he had well enjoyed 
watching our satisfaction. 

We lay for a little, till the sky was 
touched here and there with saffron and 
flying wisps of pink, and we began to see 
the colour of grass and leaves. Then we 
made our meal, — a morsel each of the 
salt hake which I had clung to through 
our flight, and some bits of Tamin’s black 
bread. This bread was wholesome, as I 
well knew, and to our hunger it was not 
unsavoury ; but it was of a hardness which 
the sea-water had scarce availed to mitigate. 

As we ground hastily upon the meagre 
fare, I felt, rather than heard, a presence 
come behind me. I turned my head with 


Grul 


77 


a start, and at the same instant heard a 
high, plangent voice, close beside us, cry- 
ing slowly : — 

“Woe, woe to Acadie the Fair, for the 
day of her desolation cometh.” 

It was an astonishing figure upon which 
my eyes fell, — a figure which might have 
been grotesque, but was not. Instead of 
laughing, my heart thrilled with a kind of 
awe. The man was not old, — his frame 
was erect and strong with manhood ; but 
the long hair hanging about his neck was 
white, the long beard streaming upon his 
half-naked breast was white. He wore 
leathern breeches, and the upper portion 
of his body was covered only by a cloak 
of coarse woollen stuff, woven in a staring 
pattern of black and yellow. On his head 
was a rimless cap of plaited straw, with a 
high, pointed crown ; and this was stuck 
full of gaudy flowers and feathers. From 
the point of the crown rose the stump of 
what had been, belike, a spray of golden- 
rod, broken by a hasty journeying through 
the obstructions of the forest. The man's 
eyes, of a wild and flaming blue, fixed 


7 8 The Forge in the Forest 


themselves on mine. In one hand he 
carried a white stick, with a grotesque 
carven head, dyed scarlet, which he pointed 
straight at me. 

“ Do you lie down, like cows that chew 
the cud, when the wolves are on the trail ? ” 
demanded that plangent voice. 

‘‘ It's Grul ! ” cried Tamin, springing to 
his feet and thrusting a piece of black 
bread into the stranger's hand. 

But the offering was thrust aside, while 
those wide eyes flamed yet more wildly 
upon me. 

“ They are on the trail, I tell you ! " he 
repeated. “ I hear their feet even now ! 
Go ! Run ! Fly ! " and he stooped, with 
an ear toward the ground. 

“ But which way should we fly ? " I 
asked, half in doubt whether his warning 
should be heeded or derided. I could see 
that neither Marc nor Tamin had any 
such doubts. They were on the strain 
to be off, and only awaited my word. 

Go up the brook," said he, in a lower 
VQice. “The first small stream on your 
left hand, turn up that a little way, and 


Grul 


79 


so — for the wolves shall this time be 
balked. But the black wolPs teeth bite 
deep. They shall bite upon the throats 
of the people ! he continued, his voice 
rising keenly, his white staff, with its 
grinning scarlet head, waving in strange, 
intricate curves. We were already off, 
making at almost full speed up the brook. 
Glancing back, I saw the fantastic form 
running to and fro over the ground where 
we had lain ; and when the trees hid him 
we heard those ominous words wailed 
slowly over and over with the reiterance 
of a tolling bell : — 

“Woe, woe for Acadie the Fair, for the 
day of her desolation cometh ! 

“ He’ll throw them off the trail ! ” said 
Tamin, confidently. 

“ But how did they ever get on it ? ” 
queried Marc. 

“’Tis plain that they have seen or heard 
us as we passed the strip of beach ! ” said 
I, in deep vexation, for I hated to be over- 
reached by any one in woodcraft. “If 
we outwit them now, it’s no thanks to my 
tactics, but only to that generous and as- 


8o 


The Forge in the Forest 


tonishing madman. You both seemed to 
know him. Who, in the name of all the 
saints, might he be ? What was it you 
called him, Tamin ? 

“ Grul ! ” replied Tamin ; and said no 
more, discreetly husbanding his wind. But 
Marc spoke for him. 

I have heard him called no other 
name but Grul ! Madman he is, at times, 
I think. But sane for the most part, and 
with some touches of a wisdom beyond 
the wisdom of men. The guise of mad- 
ness he wears always ; and the Indians, as 
well as our own people, reverence him 
mightily. It is nigh upon three years 
since he first appeared in Acadie. He 
hates the Black Abbe, — who, they say, 
once did him some great mischief in some 
other land than this, — and his strange 
ravings, his prodigious prophesyings, do 
something here and there to weaken the 
Abbe’s influence with our people.” 

“ Then how does he evade the good 
father’s wrath ? ” I questioned, in wonder. 

“Oh,” said Marc, “the good father 
hates him cordially enough. But the 


Grul 


8i 


Indians could not be persuaded, or bullied, 
or bribed, to lift a hand against him. They 
say a Manitou dwells in him.’’ 

“ Maybe they’re not far wrong ! ” 
grunted Tamin. 

And now I, like Tamin, found it pru- 
dent to spare my wind. But Marc, whose 
lungs seemed untiring, spoke from time to 
time as he went, and told me certain inci- 
dents, now of Grul’s acuteness, now of his 
gift of prophecy, now of his fantastic mad- 
ness. We came at length, after passing 
two small rivulets on the right, to the stream 
on the left which Grul had indicated. It 
had a firm bed, wherein our footsteps left 
no trace, and we ascended it for perhaps 
a mile, by many windings. Then, with 
crafty care, we crept up from the stream, 
in such a fashion as to leave no mark of 
our divergence if, as I thought not likely, 
our pursuers should come that way. After 
that we fetched a great circuit, crossed the 
parent brook, and shortly before noon 
judged that we might account ourselves 
secure. Where a tiny spring bubbled be- 
neath a granite boulder and trickled away 


82 


The Forge in the Forest 


north toward the Fundy shore, we stopped 
to munch black bread and the remnant of 
the fish. We rested for an hour, — Tamin 
and I sleeping, while Marc, who protested 
that he felt no motion toward slumber, 
kept watch. When he roused us, we set 
off pleasantly refreshed, our faces toward 
Shulie. 

Till late that night we journeyed, hav- 
ing a clear moon to guide us. Coming at 
length to the edge of a small lake set with 
islands, ‘‘Here,” said I, “is the place 
where we may sleep secure ! ” 

We stripped, took our bundles on our 
heads, and swam out into the shining still- 
ness. We swam past two islets, and 
landed upon one which caught my fancy. 
There we lay down in a bed of sweet- 
smelling fern, and were well content. As 
we supped on Tamin's good black bread, 
two loons laughed to each' other out on 
the silver surface. We saw their black, 
watchful heads, moving slowly. Then we 
slept. It was high day when we awoke. 
The bread was now scarce, so we husbanded 
it, and made such good speed all day that 


Grul 


83 


while it wanted yet some hours of sunset 
we came out upon a bluff’s edge and saw 
below us the wash and roll of Fundy. 
We were some way west of Shulie, but not 
far, Tamin said, from the house of his 
good friend with the good boat. 

To this house we came within the hour. 
It was a small, home-like cabin, among 
apple trees, in a slant clearing that over- 
hung a narrow creek. There, by a little 
jetty, I rejoiced to see the boat. The man 
of the house, one Beaudry, was in the 
woods looking for his cow, but the good- 
wife made us welcome. When Beaudry 
came in he and Tamin fell on each other’s 
necks. And I found, too, that the name 
of Jean de Briart, with something of his 
poor exploits, was not all unknown in the 
cabin. 

How well we supped that night, on fresh 
shad well broiled, and fresh sweet barley 
bread, and thin brown buckwheat cakes ! 
It was settled at once that Beaudry should 
put us over to de Ramezay’s camp with 
the first of the morrow’s tide. Then, over 
our pipes, sitting under the apple tree by 


84 The Forge in the Forest 


the porch, we told our late adventures. I 
say we, but Tamin told them, and gave 
them a droll colouring which delighted 
me. It must have tickled Marc's fancy, 
too, for I took note that he let his pipe 
out many times during the story. Beaudry 
kept crying Hein ! " and “ Bien ! " and 
Tiens ! " in an ecstasy of admiration. 
The goodwife, however, was seemingly 
most touched by the loss of Tamin's 
knitted cap. With a face of great concern, 
as who should say Poor soul ! " she 
jumped up, ran into the house, was gone a 
few moments, and returned beaming be- 
nevolence. 

Via ! " she cried ; and stuck upon 
Tamin’s wiry black head a bran-new cap 
of red wool. 


Chapter VII 

The Commander is Embarrassed 

N ext day we set out at a good 
hour, and came without further 
adventure to Chignecto. Having landed, 
amid a little swarm of fishing-boats, we 
then went straight to de Ramezay’s head- 
quarters, leaving Beaudry at the wharf 
among his cronies. We crossed a strip 
of dyked marsh, whereon were many sleek 
Acadian cattle cropping the rich aftermath, 
and ascended the gentle slope of the up- 
lands. Amid a few scattered cabins were 
ranged the tents of the soldiers. Camp 
fires and sheaves of stacked muskets gave 
the bright scene a warlike countenance. 
Higher up the hill stood a white cottage, 
larger than the rest, its door painted red, 
with green panels ; and from a staff on 
its gable, blown out bravely by the wind 
85 


86 The Forge in the Forest 


which ever sweeps those Fundy marsh- 
lands, flapped the white banner with the 
Lilies of France. 

The sentry who challenged us at the 
foot of the slope knew me, — had once 
fought under me in a border skirmish, — 
and, saluting with great respect, summoned 
a guard to conduct us to headquarters. 
As we climbed the last dusty rise and 
turned in, past the long well-sweep and 
two gaunt, steeple-like Lombardy poplars, 
to the yard before the cottage, the door 
opened and the commander himself stood 
before us. His face lit up gladly as I 
stepped forward to greet him, and with 
great warmth he sprang to embrace me. 

My dear Briart ! he cried. ‘‘ I have 
long expected you ! 

‘‘ I am but just returned to Acadie, my 
dear friend,’' said I, with no less warmth 
than he had evinced, ‘‘ or you would 
surely have seen me here to greet you 
on your coming. But the King s service 
kept me on the Richelieu ! " 

And even your restless activity, my 
Jean, cannot put you in two places at 


The Commander is Embarrassed 87 


once,’’ said he, as he turned with an air 
of courteous inquiry to my companions. 
Perceiving at once by his dress that 
Tamin was a habitant, his eyes rested 
upon Marc. 

‘‘ My son Marc, Monsieur de Rame- 
zay,” said I. 

The two bowed, Marc very respect- 
fully, as became a young man on pre- 
sentation to a distinguished officer, but 
de Ramezay with a sudden and most 
noticeable cdldness. At this I flushed 
with anger, but the moment was not one 
for explanations. I restrained myself ; and 
turning to Tamin, I said in an altered 
tone : — 

‘‘And this, de Ramezay, is my good 
friend and faithful follower, Tamin Violet, 
of Canard parish, who desires to enlist for 
service under you. More of him, and all 
to his credit, I will tell you by and by. 
I merely commend him to you now as 
brave, capable, and a good shot ! ” 

“ I have ever need of such ! ” said 
de Ramezay, quickly. “ As you recom- 
mend him. he shall serve in Monsieur 


88 The Forge in the Forest 


de Ville d’Avray's company, which forms 
my own guard.'" 

Summoning an orderly, he gave direc- 
tions to this effect. As Tamin turned to 
depart with the orderly, both Marc and 
I stepped up to him and wrung his 
hands, and thanked him many times for 
the courage and craft which had saved 
Marc's life as well as the honour of our 
family. 

“ We’ll see you again to-night or in the 
morning, my Tamin," said Marc. 

‘‘ And tell you how goes my talk with 
the commander," added I, quietly. 

‘'And for the boat we wrecked," con- 
tinued Marc, “why, of course, we won't 
remain in your debt for a small thing like 
that ; though for the great matter, and for 
your love, we are always your debtors 
gladly ! " 

“And in the King's uniform," said I, 
cutting short Tamin's attempted protesta- 
tions, “ even the Black Abbe will not try 
to molest you." 

I turned again to de Ramezay, who was 
waiting a few paces aside, and said, with a 


The Commander is Embarrassed 89 

courtesy that was something formal after 
the warmth of our first greeting : — 

“Your pardon, de Ramezay ! But 
Tamin has gone through much with us 
and for us. And now, my son and I 
would crave an undisturbed conversation 
with you.” 

At once, and without a word, he con- 
ducted us into his private room, where he 
invited us to be seated. As we complied, 
he himself remained standing, with every 
sign of embarrassment in his frank and 
fearless countenance. I had ever liked 
him well. Good cause to like him, in- * 
deed, I had in my heart, for I had once 
stood over his body in a frontier skirmish, 
and saved his scalp from the knives of the 
Onondagas. But now my anger was hot 
against him, for it was plain to me that he 
had lent ear to some slanders against 
Marc. For a second or two there was a 
silence, then Marc sprang to his feet. 

“Perhaps if I stand,” said he, coldly, 
“ Monsieur de Ramezay will do us the 
honour of sitting.” 

De Ramezay’s erect figure — a very 


90 The Forge in the Forest 


soldierly and imposing figure it was in its 
uniform of white and gold — straightened 
itself haughtily for an instant. Then he 
began, but with a stammering tongue : — 

‘‘I bitterly regret — it grieves me, — it 
pains me to even hint it, — ” and he kept 
his eyes upon the floor as he spoke, — 
“ but your son, my dear friend, is ac- 
cused — ” 

Here I broke in upon him, springing 
to my feet. 

“ Stop ! ” said I, sternly. 

He looked at me with a face of sorrow- 
ful inquiry, into which a tinge of anger 
rose slowly. 

‘‘ Remember,'* I continued, that what- 
ever accusation or imputation you make 
now, I shall require you to prove beyond 
a peradventure, — or to make good with 
your sword against mine ! My son is the 
victim of a vile conspiracy. He is — " 

‘‘Then he is loyal, you say, to France?" 
interrupted de Ramezay, eagerly. 

“ I say," said I, in a voice of steel, 
“ that he has done nothing that his father, 
a soldier of France, should blush to tell. 


The Commander is Embarrassed 91 


— nothing that an honest gentleman 
should not do/’ My voice softened a 
little as I noticed the change in his counte- 
nance. And oh, Ramezay,” I continued, 
had any man an hour ago told me that 
you would condemn a son of mine un- 
heard, — that you, on the mere word of 
a false priest or his wretched tools, would 
have believed that a son of Jean de Mer 
could be a traitor, I would have driven 
the words down his throat for a black lie, 
a slander on my friend ! ” 

De Ramezay was silent for a moment, 
his eyes fixed upon the floor. Then he 
lifted his head. 

I was wrong. Forgive me, my friend ! ” 
said he, very simply. I see clearly that 
I ought to have held the teller of those 
tales in suspicion, knowing of him what 
I do know. And now, since you give me 
your word the tales are false, they are 
false. Pardon me, I beg of you. Mon- 
sieur ! ” he added, turning to Marc and 
holding out his hand. 

Marc bowed very low, but appeared 
not to see the hand. 


92 


The Forge in the Forest 


If you have heard. Monsieur de 
Ramezay,” said he, ‘‘ that, before it was 
made plain that France would seek to 
recover Acadie out of English hands, I, 
a mere boy, urged my fellow Acadians to 
accept the rule in good faith ; — if you 
have heard that I then urged them not 
to be misled to their own undoing by an 
unscrupulous and merciless intriguer who 
disgraces his priestly office; — if you have 
heard that, since then, I have cursed bit- 
terly the corruption at Quebec which is 
threatening New France with instant ruin, 
— you have heard but truly ! ” 

De Ramezay bit his lips and flushed 
slightly. Marc was not making the situa- 
tion easier ; but I could scarce blame him. 
Our host, however, motioned us to our 
seats, taking his own chair immediately 
that he saw us seated. For my own part, 
my anger was quite assuaged. I hastened 
to clear the atmosphere. 

“ Let me tell you the whole story, 
Ramezay,” said I, “ and you will under- 
stand. But first let me say that my son 
is wholly devoted to the cause of France. 


The Commander is Embarrassed 93 


His former friendly intercourse with the 
English, a boyish matter, he brought to 
an utter end when the war came this 
way.” 

And let me say,” interrupted de 
Ramezay, manfully striving to amend his 
error, “ that when one whom I need not 
name was filling my ear with matter not 
creditable to a young man named Marc 
de Mer, it did not come at all to my 
mind — and can you wonder ? — that the 
person so spoken of was a son of my 
Briart, of the man who had so perilled his 
own life to save mine ! I thought your 
son was but a child. It was thus that the 
accusations were allowed to stick in my 
mind, — which I do most heartily repent 
of! And for which I again crave pardon 1 ” 

I beg of you. Monsieur, that you will 
think no more of it 1 ” said Marc, heartily, 
being by this quite appeased. 

Then with some particularity I told our 
story, — not omitting Marc’s visit to his 
little Puritan at Annapolis, whereat de 
Ramezay smiled, and seemed to under- 
stand something which had before been 


94 


The Forge in the Forest 


dark to him. When the Black Abbe came 
upon the scene (I had none of our host's 
reluctance to mention the Abbe's name !) 
de Ramezay's brows gathered gloomily. 
But he heard the tale through with breath- 
less attention up to the point of our land- 
ing at Chignecto. 

“And now, right glad am I that you 
are here," he exclaimed, stretching out a 
hand to each of us. The frank welcome 
that illuminated the strong lines of his 
face left no more shadow of anger in our 
hearts. 

“ And here are the Abbe's precious 
documents ! " said I, fetching forth the 
packet. 

De Ramezay examined both letters with 
the utmost care. 

“ The reward," he said presently, with 
a dry smile, “ is on a scale that savours 
of Quebec rather more than of thrifty 
New England. When Boston holds 
the purse-strings, information is bought 
cheaper than that ! As for the signature, 
it is passable. But I fear it would scarce 
satisfy Master Apthorp ! " 


The Commander is Embarrassed 95 


I thought as much/' said I, though 
I have seen Mascarene's signature but 
once.” 

De Ramezay fingered the paper, and 
held it up to the light. 

But a point which will interest you 
particularly, Monsieur,” he continued, ad- 
dressing Marc, “is the fact that this paper 
was made in France ! ” 

“ It is gratifying to know that. Mon- 
sieur!” replied Marc, with his vanishing 
smile. 

“ It would be embarrassing to some 
people,” said de Ramezay, “ if they 
knew we were aware of it. But I may 
say here frankly that they must not know 
it. You will readily understand that my 
hands are something less than free. As 
things go now at Quebec, there are 
methods used which I cannot look upon 
with favour, and which I must therefore 
seem not to see. I am forced to use 
the tools which are placed in my hands. 
This priest of whom you speak is a power 
in Acadie. He is thought to be indis- 
pensable to our cause. He will do the 


96 The Forge in the Forest 


things that, alas, have to be done, but 
which no one else will do. And I believe 
he does love France, — he is surely sin- 
cere in that. But he rests very heavily, 
methinks, on the conscience of his good 
bishop at Quebec, who, but for the 
powers that interfere, would call him to 
a sharp account. I tell you all this so 
that you will see why I must not charge 
the Abbe with this villany of his. I am 
compelled to seem ignorant of it.’' 

I assured him that I apprehended the 
straits in which he found himself, and 
would be content if he would merely give 
the Abbe to understand that Marc was 
not to be meddled with. 

“ Of course,” said Marc, at this point, 
“ I wish to enter active service, with 
Father ; and I shall therefore be, for the 
most part, beyond the good Abbe’s reach. 
But we have business at Grand Pre and 
Canard that will hold us there a week or 
thereabouts; and it is annoying to walk 
in the hourly peril of being tomahawked 
and scalped for a spy ! ” 

I’ll undertake to secure you in this 


The Commander is Embarrassed 97 


regard/' laughed de Ramezay ; ‘‘and in re- 
turn, perchance I may count on your sup- 
port when 1 move against Annapolis, as 
my purpose is to do ere many weeks ! " 

“Assuredly ! ” said Marc, “ if my father 
have made for me no other plans ! ” And 
he turned to me for my word in the matter. 

As it chanced, this was exactly as I had 
purposed, which I made at once to appear. 
It was presently agreed, therefore, that we 
should tarry some days at Chignecto, re- 
turning thereafter to despatch our affairs 
at home and await de Ramezay's sum- 
mons. As the Commander's guests we 
were lodged in his own quarters, and 
Tamin was detailed to act as our or- 
derly. The good Beaudry, with his good 
boat, was sent home not empty-handed 
to his goodwife near Shulie, with instruc- 
tions to come again for us in five days. 
And Tamin, having now no more need of 
it, sent back to Madame Beaudry, with 
best compliments, her knitted cap of red 
wool. 


Chapter VIII 

The Black Abbe Comes to Dinner 

O F the pleasant but something irrele- 
vant matter of how merrily we supped 
that night with de Ramezay and his offi- 
cers, — many of whom I knew, all of 
whom knew me or my adventurous re- 
pute, — I will not linger to discourse. 
Nor of the costly dainties from France 
which enriched the board, side by side 
with fair salmon from the Tantramar 
and bursting-fat plover from the Joli- 
Coeur marshes. Nor of the good red 
wine of Burgundy which so enhanced the 
relish of those delectable birds, — and of 
which I might perhaps have drunk more 
sparingly had good Providence but made 
me more abstemious. Let it suffice to 
say, there was wit enough to spice plainer 
fare, and courtesy that had shone at Ver- 

98 


The Black Abbe Comes to Dinner 99 


sallies. The long bare room, with its 
low, black-raftered ceiling and polished 
floor, its dark walls patterned with shelves, 
was lit by the smoky flames of two-score 
tallow candles. 

By and by chairs were pushed back, 
the company sat with less ceremony, 
the air grew clouded with the blue va- 
pours of the Virginia weed, and tongues 
wagged something more loosely than be- 
fore. There were songs, — catches from 
the banks of Rhone, rolling ballads of 
our own voyageurs. A young captain 
quite lately from Versailles, the Sieur de 
Ville d’Avray, had an excellent gift of 
singing. 

But now, just when the Sieur de Ville 
d’Avray was rendering, with most com- 
mendable taste and spirit, the ballade 
of ‘‘Frere Lubin,” there came an inter- 
ruption. 


“ II presche en theologien, 

Mais pour boire de belle eau claire, 
Faictes la boire a vostre chien, 
Frere Lubin ne le peult faire,’* — 


T.ofC. 


lOO The Forge in the Forest 


sang the gay voice, — we all nodding our 
heads in intent approval, or even, maybe, 
seeing that the wine was generous, tapping 
the measure openly with our fingers. But 
suddenly, though there was no noise to 
draw them, all eyes turned to the door- 
way, and the singer paused in his song. 
I tipped my chair back into the shadow 
of a shelf, as did Marc, who sat a little 
beyond me. For the visitor, who thus 
boldly entered unannounced, w^s none 
other than the Black Abbe himself. 

I flung de Ramezay a swift glance of 
anticipation, which he caught as he arose 
in his place to greet the new-comer. On 
the faces around the table I took note of 
an ill-disguised annoyance. The Abbe, 
it was plain, found small favour in that 
company. But to do him justice, he 
seemed but little careful to court favour. 
He stood in the doorway, frowning, a 
piercing and bitter light in his close-set 
eyes. He waited for de Ramezay to come 
forward and give him welcome, — which 
de Ramezay presently did, and would have 
led him to a seat at the table. 










The Black Abbe Comes to Dinner loi 


But ‘‘No!'' said the grim intruder. 
“With all thanks for your courtesy, 
Monsieur, I have no time, nor am I in 
the temper, for revellings. When I have 
said my word to you I will get me to 
the house of one of my flock, and sup 
plainly, and take what rest I may, for 
at dawn I must set out for the Shube- 
nacadie. There is much to be done, and 
few to do it, and the time grows short 1 " 
and he swept a look of reprimand about 
the circle. 

“Would you speak with me in private, 
Father ? " asked de Ramezay, with great 
civility. 

“ It is not necessary. Monsieur I " re- 
plied the Abbe. “ I have but to say that 
I arrested the pestilent young traitor, 
Marc de Mer, on his father's estate at 
Canard, and left him under guard while 
I went to attend to other business. I 
found upon his person clear proofs of his 
treachery, which would have justified his 
hanging on the instant. But I preferred 
that you should be the judge I " 

“You did well!" said de Ramezay, 


102 The Forge in the Forest 


gravely. “ I must ask even you, Mon- 
sieur TAbbe, to remember on all occasions 
that I, and I only, am the judge, so long 
as I remain in Acadie ! 

To this rebuke, courteous though it 
was, the priest vouchsafed no reply but 
a slight smile, which uncovered his strong 
yellow teeth on one side, like a snarl. 
He continued his report as if there had 
been no interruption. 

“In my brief absence his father, with 
some disaffected habitants, deceived my 
faithful followers by a trick, and carried 
off the prisoner. But I have despatched 
a strong party on the trail of the fugi- 
tives. They will certainly be captured, 
and brought at once — 

But at this point his voice failed him. 
His face worked violently with mingled 
rage and amazement, and following his 
gaze I saw Marc standing and bowing 
with elaborate courtesy. 

“They are already here. Sir Abbe,” 
said he, “ having made haste that they 
might give you welcome ! ” 

A ripple of laughter went around the 


The Black Abbe Comes to Dinner 103 


table, as the company, recovering from 
some moments of astonishment, began 
to understand the situation. I, too, rose 
to my feet, smiling expectantly. The 
priest’s narrow eyes met mine for a 
second, with a light that was akin to 
madness. Then they shifted. But he 
found his voice again. 

“ I denounce that man as a proved 
spy and traitor ! ” he shouted, striding 
forward, and pointing a yellow finger of 
denunciation across the table at Marc, 
while the revellers over whom he leaned 
made way for him resentfully. I de- 
mand his instant arrest.” 

“ Gently, Monsieur TAbbe,” said de 
Ramezay. ‘‘ These are serious charges 
to bring against French gentlemen, and 
friends of the Commander; have you 
proofs — such as will convince me after 
the closest scrutiny ^ ” he added, with 
unmistakable significance. 

‘‘ 1 have myself seen the proofs, I tell 
you,” snarled the Abbe, beginning to exert 
more self-control, but still far unlike the 
cool, inexorable, smiling cynic who had 


104 The Forge in the Forest 


so galled my soul with his imperturba- 
bility when I lay in his bonds beside the 
Forge. 

‘‘ I would fain see them, too,” insisted 
de Ramezay. 

The priest glared at me, and then at 
Marc, baffled. 

“ I have them not,” said he, in his slow 
and biting tones ; ‘‘ but if you would do 
your duty as the King’s servant. Monsieur 
de Ramezay, and arrest yonder spy, you 
would doubtless find the proofs upon his 
person, if he has not taken the pains to 
dispose of them.” Upon this insolent 
speech, de Ramezay took his seat, and 
left the priest standing alone. When, 
after a pause, he spoke, his voice was 
stern and masterful, as if he were address- 
ing a contumacious servant, though he 
retained the forms of courtesy in his 
phrasesi 

‘‘ Monsieur,” said he, “ when I wish to 
learn my duty, it will not be the some- 
what well-known Abbe la Game whom I 
will ask to teach me. I must require you 
not to presume further upon the sacred- 


The Black Abbe Comes to Dinner 105 


ness of your office. Your soutane saves 
you from being called to account by the 
gentleman whose honour you have as- 
persed. Monsieur Marc de Mer is the 
son of my friend. He is also one of 
my aides-de-camp. I beg that you will 
understand me without more words when 
I say that I have examined the whole 
matter to which you refer. For your 
own credit, press it no further. I trust 
you catch my meaning ! ” 

“ On the contrary,'’ said the Abbe, 
coolly, being by this time quite himself 
again, and seemingly indifferent to the 
derisive faces confronting him — on 
the contrary, your meaning altogether 
escapes me. Monsieur. All that I un- 
derstand of your singular behaviour is 
what the Governor and the Intendant, 
not I their unworthy instrument, will be 
called to pass judgment upon.” 

‘‘ I will trouble you to understand also. 
Sir Priest,” said de Ramezay, thoroughly 
aroused, his tones biting like acid, that 
if this young man is further troubled by 
any of your faithful Shubenacadie flock, I 


io6 The Forge in the Forest 


will hold you responsible ; and the fact 
that you are useful, having fewer scruples 
than trouble a mere layman, shall not 
save you” 

Be not disturbed for your spy. Mon- 
sieur,'’ sneered the Abbe, now finely 
tranquil. ‘‘ I wash my hands of all re- 
sponsibility in regard to him ; look you 
to that.” 

For the space of some seconds there 
was silence all about that table of feasting, 
while the Abbe swept a smiling, bitter 
glance around the room. Last, his eyes 
rested upon mine and leaped with a sud- 
den light of triumph, so that one might 
have thought not he but I had been 
worsted in the present encounter. Then 
he turned on his heel and went out, scorn- 
ful of courtesy. 

A clamour of talk arose upon this most 
cherished departure ; but I heard it as in 
a dream, being wrapped up in wonder as 
to the meaning of that look of triumph. 

“ Has the Black Abbe cast a spell upon 
you. Father?” I heard Marc inquiring 
presently. Whereupon I came to my- 


The Black Abbe Comes to Dinner 107 


self with a kind of start, and made merry 
with the rest of them. 

It was late when Marc and I went to 
the little chamber where our pallets were 
stretched. There we found Tamin await- 
ing us. He was in a sweat of fear. 

What is it, my Tamin ? asked Marc. 

“The Black Abbe,’' he grunted, the 
drollness all chased out of the little 
wrinkles about his eyes. 

“Well,” said I, impatiently. “The 
Black Abbe; and what of him? He is 
repenting to-night that he ever tried con- 
clusions with me. I’ll wager.” 

I spoke the more confidently because 
in my heart I was still troubled to know 
the meaning of the Abbe’s glance. 

“ Hein,” said Tamin. “ He looked — 
his eyes would lift a scalp ! I was stand- 
ing in the light just under the window, 
when of a sudden the door closed ; and 
there he stood beside me, with no sound, 
and still as a heron. He looked at me 
with those two narrow eyes, as if he 
would eat my heart out ; and I stood 
there, and shook. Then, of a sudden, 


io8 The Forge in the Forest 

his face changed. It became like a good 
priest’s face when he says the prayer for 
the soul that is passing ; and he looked 
at me with solemn eyes. And I was yet 
more afraid. ^ It is not for me to rebuke 
you,’ he said, speaking so that each word 
seemed an hour long ; ^ red runs your 
blood on the deep snow beneath thi 
apple tree.’ And before I could steady 
my teeth to ask him what he meant, he 
was gone. ‘ Red runs your blood beneath 
the apple tree.’ What did he mean by 
that ? ” 

Oh,” said I, speaking lightly to en- 
courage him, though in truth the words 
fell on me with a chill, “ he said it to 
spoil your sleep and poison your content. 
It was a cunning revenge, seeing that he 
dare not lift a hand to punish you other- 
wise.” 

‘^To be sure, my Tamin, that is all of 
it,” added Marc. “ Who has ever heard 
that the Black Abbe was a prophet ? 
Faith, ’tis as Father says, a cunning and 
a devilish revenge. But you can balk it 
finely by paying no heed to it.” 


The Black Abbe Comes to Dinner 109 


Tamin’s face had brightened mightily, 
but he still looked serious. 

‘‘ Do you think so ? ’’ he exclaimed with 
eagerness. “ ’Tis as you say indeed, — the 
Black Abbe is no prophet. Had it been 
Grul, now, that said it, there were some- 
thing to lie awake for, eh ? ” 

“ Yes, indeed, if Grul had said it,” mut- 
tered Marc, contemplating him strangely. 

But for me, I was something impatient 
now to be asleep. 

“ Think no more of it, my friend,” said 
I, and dismissed him. Yet sleepy as I 
was, I thought of it, and even I must 
have begun to dream of it. The white 
sheet of moonlight that lay across my 
couch became a drift of snow with blood 
upon it, and the patterned shadow upon 
the wall an apparition leaning over, — 
when out of an immense distance, as it 
were, I heard Marc’s voice. 

‘^Father,” he cried Softly, “are you 
awake ? ” 

“Yes, dear lad,” said I. “What is it?” 

“ I have been wondering,” said he, 
“why the Black Abbe looked at you. 


I lO 


The Forge in the Forest 


not me, in his going. He had such a 
countenance as warns me that he purposes 
some cunning stroke. But I fear his 
enmity has turned from me to you.” 

“Well, lad, it was surely I that balked 
him. What would you have ? ” I asked. 

“ Oh,” said he, heavily, “ that I should 
have turned that bloodhound onto your 
trail ! ” 

“ Marc, if it will comfort you to know 
it, carry this in your memory,” said I, 
with a cheerful lightness, like froth upon 
the strong emotion that flooded my heart. 
“When the Black Abbe strikes at me, it 
will be through you. He knows where I 
am like to prove most vulnerable ! ” 

“ 'Tis all right, then, so as we sink or 
swim together. Father,” said Marc, quietly. 

“ That's the way of it now, dear lad ! 
Sweet sleep to you, and dreams of red 
hair ! ” said I. And I turned my face 
drowsily to the wall. 


Chapter IX 

The Abbe Strikes Again 

T he few days of our stay at Chig- 
necto were gay and busy ones ; 
and all through them hummed the wind 
steadily across the pale green marshes, 
and buffeted the golden-rod on our high 
shoulder of upland. De Ramezay grati- 
fied me by making much of Marc. The 
three of us rode daily abroad among the 
surrounding settlements. And I spent 
many hours planning with de Ramezay 
a fort which should be built on the site 
of this camp, in case the coming campaign 
should fail to drive the English out of 
Acadie. De Ramezay, as was ever his 
wont, was full of confidence in the event. 
But of the sorry doings at Quebec, of the 
plundering hands upon the public purse, 
of the shamelessness in high places, he 


111 


112 


The Forge in the Forest 


hinted to me so broadly that I began to 
see much ground for Marc's misgivings. 
And my heart cried out for my fair coun- 
try of New France. 

On the fifth day of our stay, — it was a 
Wednesday, and very early in the morn- 
ing, — the good Beaudry with his good 
boat came for us. The tide serving at 
about two hours after sunrise, we set out 
then for Grand Pre, well content with the 
jade Fortune whose whims had so far 
favoured us. De Ramezay and his officers 
were at the wharf-end to bid us God- 
speed ; and as I muse upon it now they 
may have thought curiously of it to see 
the loving fashion in which both Marc 
and I made a point to embrace our faith- 
ful Tamin. But that is neither here nor 
there, so long as we let him plainly under- 
stand how our hearts were towards him. 

The voyage home was uneventful, save 
that we met contrary winds, whereby it 
fell that not until evening of the second 
day did we come into the Gaspereau 
mouth and mark the maids of Grand 
Pre carrying water from the village well. 


The Abbe Strikes Again 113 

The good Beaudry we paid to his satis- 
faction, and left to find lodging in one of 
the small houses by the water side ; while 
Marc and I took our way up the long 
street with its white houses standing amid 
their apple trees. Having gone perhaps 
four or five furlongs, returning many a 
respectful salutation from the doorways as 
we passed, we then turned up the hill by a 
little lane which was bordered stiffiy with 
the poplar trees of Lombardy, and in short 
space we came to a pleasant cottage in a 
garden, under shadow of the tall white 
church which stood sentinel over the Grand 
Pre roofs. The cottage had some apple 
trees behind it, and many late roses bloom- 
ing in the garden. It was the home of the 
good Cure, Father Fafard, most faithful 
and most gentle of priests. 

With Father Fafard we lodged that 
night, and for some days thereafter. The 
Cure's round face grew unwontedly stern 
and anxious as we told him our advent- 
ures, and rehearsed the doings of the 
Black Abbe. He got up from time to time 
and paced the room, muttering once — 


1 14 The Forge in the Forest 


“Alas that such a man should discredit 
our holy office ! What wrath may he not 
bring down upon this land ! '' — and more 
to a like purport. 

My own house in Grand Pre, where 
Marc had inhabited of late, and where I 
was wont to pay my flitting visits, I judged 
well to put off my hands for the present, 
foreseeing that troublous times were nigh. 
I transferred it in Father Fafard’s presence 
to a trusty villager by name Marquette, 
whom I could count upon to transfer it 
back to me as soon as the skies should clear 
again. I knew that if, by any fortune of 
war, English troops should come to be 
quartered in Grand Pre, they would be 
careful for the property of the villagers ; 
but the house and goods of an enemy 
under arms, such would belike fare ill. I 
collected, also, certain moneys due me in 
the village, for I knew that the people 
were prosperous, and I did not know how 
long their prosperity might continue. 
This done, Marc and I set out for my own 
estate beside the yellow Canard. There I 
had rents to gather in, but no house to put 


The Abbe Strikes Again 1 1 5 


off my hands. At the time when Acadie 
was ceded to England, a generation back, 
the house of the de Mers had been handed 
over to one of the most prosperous of our 
habitants, and with that same family it had 
ever since remained, yielding indeed a pre- 
posterously scant rental, but untroubled 
by the patient conqueror. 

My immediate destination was the 
Forge, where I expected to find Babin 
awaiting me with news and messages. At 
the Forge, too, I would receive payment 
from my tenants, and settle certain points 
which, as I had heard, were at dispute 
amongst them. 

As we drew near the Forge, through the 
pleasant autumn woods, it wanted about 
an hour of noon. I heard, far off, the 
muffled thunder of a cock-partridge drum- 
ming. But there was no sound of hammer 
on clanging anvil, no smoke rising from 
the wide Forge chimney; and when we 
entered, the ashes were dead cold. It was 
plain there had been no fire in the forge 
that day. 

Where can Babin be ? ” I muttered in 


ii6 The Forge in the Forest 


vexation. ‘‘ If he got my message, there 
can be no excuse for his absence.’’ 

“ I’ll wager, Father,” said Marc, that if 
he is not off on some errand of yours, then 
he is sick abed, or dead. Nought besides 
would keep Babin when you called him.” 

I went to a corner and pulled a square 
of bark from a seemingly hollow log up 
under the rafters. In the secret niche 
thus revealed was a scrap of birch bark 
scrawled with some rude characters of 
Babin’s, whence I learned that my trusty 
smith was sick of a sharp inflammation. 
I passed the scrap over to Marc, and felt 
again in the hollow. 

“ What, in the name of all the saints, is 
this ? ” I exclaimed, drawing out a short 
piece of peeled stick. A portion of the 
stick was cut down to a flat surface, and 
on this was drawn with charcoal a straight 
line, having another straight line perpen- 
dicular to it, and bisecting it. At the top 
of the perpendicular was a figure of the 
sun, thus: — 


The Abbe Strikes Again 117 

‘‘ It’s a message from Grul,” said Marc, 
the instant that his eyes fell upon it. 

H’m ; and how do you know that ? ” 
said I, turning it over curiously in my 
fingers. 

^^Well,” replied Marc, ‘‘the peeled 
stick is Grul’s sign manual. What does 
he say ? ” 

“He seems to say that he is going to 
build a windmill,” said I, with great 
seriousness ; “ but doubtless you will give 
this hieroglyphic quite a different inter- 
pretation.” 

Marc laughed, — yes, laughed audibly. 
And it is possible that his Penobscot 
grandmother turned in her grave. It 
was good to know that the lad could 
laugh, which I had begun to doubt ; but 
it was puzzling to me to hear him laugh 
at the mere absurdity which I had just 
uttered, when my most polished witti- 
cisms, of which I had shot off many of 
late at Chignecto, and in conversation with 
good Father Fafard, had never availed to 
bring more than a phantom smile to his 
lips. However, I made no comment, but 


ii8 The Forge in the Forest 


handed him “ Grul’s sign manual/' as he 
chose to call it. 

“Why, Father/' said he, “you under- 
stand it well enough, I know. This is 
plainly the sun at high noon. At high 
noon, therefore, we may surely expect to 
see Grul. He has been here but a short 
time back ; for see, the wood is not yet 
dry." 

“Sapristi!" said I, “do you call that 
the sun, lad ? It is very much like a 
windmill." 

How Marc might have retorted upon 
me, I know not ; for at the moment, though 
it yet wanted much of noon, the fantastic 
figure of the madman — if he were a mad- 
man — sped into the Forge. He stopped 
abruptly before us and scrutinized us for 
some few seconds in utter silence, his eyes 
glittering and piercing like sword points. 
His long white hair and beard were disor- 
dered with haste, the flowers and feathers 
in his pointed cap were for the most part 
broken, even as when we had last seen 
him, and his gaudy mantle was somewhat 
befouled with river mud. Yet such power 


The Abbe Strikes Again 119 


was there in his look and in his gesture, 
that when he stretched out his little white 
staff toward me and said Come,” I had 
much ado to keep from obeying him with- 
out question. Yet this I would not per- 
mit myself, as was natural. 

‘‘ Whither ? ” I questioned. And for 
what purpose ? ” 

By this time he was out at the door, 
but he stopped. Giving me a glance of 
scorn he turned to Marc, and stretched 
out his staff. 

Come,” he said. And in a breath he 
was gone, springing with incredible swift- 
ness and smoothness through the under- 
brush. 

‘‘We must follow. Father!” cried 
Marc ; and in the same instant was away. 

For my own part, it was sorely against 
me to be led by the nose, and thus blindly, 
by the madman — whom I now declared 
certainly to be mad. But Marc had gone, 
so I had no choice, as I conceived it, but 
to stand by the lad. I went too. And 
seeing that I had to do it, I did it well, 
and presently overtook them. 


120 The Forge in the Forest 


‘‘ What is this folly ? I asked angrily, 
panting a little, I confess. 

But Marc signed to me to be silent. 
I obeyed, though with ill enough grace, 
and ran on till my mouth was like a 
board, my tongue like wool. Then the 
grim light of the forest whitened sud- 
denly before us, and our guide stopped. 
Instinctively we imitated his motions, as 
he stole forward and peered through a 
screen of leafage. We were on a bank 
overlooking the Canard. A little below, 
and paddling swiftly towards the river- 
mouth, were two canoes manned with 
the Abbe’s Micmacs. In the bottom of 
one canoe lay a little fair-haired boy, 
bound. 

My God ! ” cried Marc, under his 
breath, ’tis the child ! ’tis little Philip 
Hanford.” 

Grul turned his wild eyes upon us. 

‘‘The power of the dog!” he muttered, 
“ the power of the dog ! ” 

“We must get a canoe and follow 
them ! ” exclaimed Marc, in great agita- 
tion, turning to go, and looking at me 


The Abbe Strikes Again 


I2I 


with passionate appeal. But before I 
could speak, to assure him of my aid 
and support, Grul interfered. 

Wait ! ” he said, with meaning empha- 
sis, thrusting his little staff* almost in the 
lad’s face. Come ! ” and he started up 
along the river bank, going swiftly but 
with noiseless caution. I expected Marc 
to demur, but not so. He evidently had 
a childlike faith in this fantastic being. 
He followed without a protest. Needless 
to say, I followed also. But all this mys- 
tery, and this blind obedience, and this 
lordly lack of explanation, were little to 
my liking. 

We had not gone above half a mile 
when Grul stopped, and bent his mad 
head to listen. Such an attitude of lis- 
tening I had never seen before. The 
feathers and stalks in his cap seemed to 
lean forward like a horse’s ears ; his hair 
and beard took on a like inclination of 
intentness ; even the grim little scarlet 
head upon his staff seemed to listen with 
its master. And Marc did as Grul did. 
Then came a sound as of a woman weep- 


122 The Forge in the Forest 

ing, very close at hand. Grul motioned 
us to pass him, and creep forward. We 
did so, lying down and moving as softly 
as lizards. But I turned to see what our 
mysterious guide was doing — and lo, he 
was gone. He might have faded into 
a summer exhalation, so complete and 
silent was his exit. 

This was too much. Only my expe- 
rience as a woods-fighter, my instinctive 
caution, kept me from springing to my 
feet and calling him. But my suspi- 
cions were all on fire. I laid a firm 
hand of detention on Marc’s arm, and 
whispered : — 

‘‘ He’s gone ; ’tis a trap.” 

Marc looked at me in some wonder, 
and more impatience. 

“No trap. Father; that’s Grul’s way.” 

“Well,” I whispered, “we had better 
go another way, Fm thinking.” 

As I spoke, the woman’s weeping came 
to us more distinctly. Something in the 
sound seemed to catch Marc’s heart, and 
his face changed. 

“ ’Tis all right, I tell you. Father ! ” 


The Abbe Strikes Again 


123 


came from between his teeth. “ Come ! 
come ! Oh, I know the voice ! ” And 
he crept forward resolutely. 

And, of course, I followed. 


Chapter X 

A Bit of White Petticoat 

W E had not advanced above a score 
of paces when, peering stealthily 
between the stems of herbs and under- 
brush, we saw what Grul had desired us to 
see. Two more canoes were drawn up at 
the water's edge. Four savages were in 
sight, sprawling in indolent attitudes un- 
der the shade of a wide water-maple. In 
their midst, at the foot of the tree, lay a 
woman bound securely. She was huddled 
together in a posture of hopeless despair ; 
and a dishevelled glory of gold-red tresses 
fell over her face to hide it. She lay in a 
moveless silence. Yet the sound of weep- 
ing continued, and Marc, gripping my 
hand fiercely, set his mouth to my ear 
and gasped : — 

“ 'Tis my own maid ! 'Tis Prudence ! " 

124 


A Bit of White Petticoat 125 


Then I saw where she sat, a little apart, 
a slender maid with a lily face, and hair 
glowing dark red in the full sun that 
streamed upon her. She was so tied to 
another tree that she might have no com- 
fort or companionship of her sister, — for 
I needed now no telling to convey it to 
me that the lady with the hidden face 
and the unweeping anguish was Mistress 
Mizpah Hanford, mother of the child 
whom I had just seen carried away. 

I grieved for Marc, whose eyes stared 
out upon the weeping maid from a face 
that had fallen to the hue of ashes. But 
I praised the saints for sending to our aid 
this madman Grul, — whom, in my heart, 
I now graciously absolved from the charge 
of madness. Seeing the Black Abbe’s 
hand in the ravishment of these tender 
victims, I made no doubt to cross him yet 
again, and my heart rose exultantly to the 
enterprise. 

Cheer up, lad,” I whispered to Marc. 

Come away a little till we plot.” 

I showed my confidence in my face, and 
I could see that he straightway took heart 


126 The Forge in the Forest 


thereat. Falling back softly for a space 
of several rods, we paused in a thicket to 
take counsel. As soon as we could speak 
freely, Marc exclaimed, ‘‘They may go at 
any moment. Father. We must haste.’' 

“ No,” said I, “ they’ll not go till the 
cool of the day. The others went because 
they have plainly been ordered to part the 
child from his mother. It is a most cun- 
ning and most cruel malice that could so 
order it.” 

“ It is my enemy’s thrust at me,” said 
Marc. “ How did he know that I loved 
the maid ? ” 

“His eyes are in every corner of Aca- 
die,” said I ; “ but we will foil him in this 
as in other matters. Marc, my heart is 
stirred mightily by that poor mother’s 
pain. I tell you, lad,” — and I looked 
diligently to the priming of my pistols as 
I spoke, — “I tell you I will not rest till 
I give the little one back into her arms.” 

But Marc, as was not unnatural, thought 
now rather of his lily maid sobbing under 
the tree. 

“Yes, Father,” said he, “but what is 


A Bit of White Petticoat 


127 


to be done now, to save Prudence and 
Mizpah ? '' 

“ Of course, dear lad,” I answered, smil- 
ingly, ‘‘ that is just what we are here for. 
But let me consider.” And sitting down 
upon a fallen tree, I buried my face in my 
hands. Marc, the while, waited with what 
patience he could muster, relying wholly 
upon my conduct of the business, but fret- 
ting for instant action. 

We were well armed (each with a brace 
of pistols and a broadsword, the forest 
being no place for rapiers), and I ac- 
counted that we were an overmatch for the 
four redskins. But there was much at 
stake, with always the chance of accident. 
And, moreover, these Indians were allies 
of France, wherefore I was most unwilling 
to attack them from the advantage of an 
ambush. These various considerations 
decided me. 

“ Marc, we’ll fight them if needful,” 
said I, lifting up my head. “ But Pm 
going to try first the conclusions of peace. 
I will endeavour to ransom the prisoners. 
These Micmacs are mightily avaricious. 


128 


The Forge in the Forest 


and may yield. It goes against me to 
attack them from an ambush, seeing that 
they are of our party and servants of 
King Louis.” 

At this speech Marc looked very ill 
content. 

But, Father,” he objected, “ shall we 
forego the advantage of a surprise ? We 
are but two to their four, and we put the 
whole issue at hazard. And as for their 
being of our party, they bring shame upon 
our party, and greatly dishonour the ser- 
vice of King Louis.” 

Nevertheless, dear lad,” said I, they 
have their claim upon us, — not lightly to 
be overlooked, in my view of it. But 
hear my plan. You will go back to 
where we lay a moment ago, and there 
be ready with your pistols. I will ap- 
proach openly by the water side and 
enter into parley with them. If I can 
buy the captives, well and good. If they 
deny me, we quarrel. You will know 
when to play your part. I am satisfied 
of that. I shall feel safe under cover of 
your pistols, and shall depend upon you 


A Bit of White Petticoat 129 


to account for two of the four. Only, do 
not be too hasty ! ” 

“ Oh, Pm cool as steel now. Father,'' 
said Marc. But I like not this plan. 
The danger is all yours. And the quar- 
rel is mine. Let us go into it side by 
side ! " 

“ Chut, lad ! " said I. ‘‘Your quarrel's 
my quarrel, and the danger is not more 
for me than for you, as you won't be long 
away from me when the fight begins, — 
if it comes to a fight. And further, my 
plan is both an honest one and like to 
succeed. Come, let us be doing ! " 

Marc seized my hand, and gave me a 
look of pride and love which put a glow 
at my heart. “You know best. Father," 
said he. And turning away, he crept 
toward his post. For me, I made a cir- 
cuit, in leisurely fashion, and came out 
upon the shore behind a point some rods 
below the spot where the savages lay. 
Then I walked boldly up along the 
water's edge. 

The Indians heard me before I came 
in view, and were on their feet when I 


1 30 The Forge in the Forest 


appeared around the point. They re- 
garded me with black suspicion, but no 
hostile movement, as I strode straight up 
to them and greeted, fairly enough but 
coldly, a tall warrior, whom I knew to 
be one of the Black Abbe’s lieutenants. 
He grunted, and asked me who I was. 

‘‘You know well enough who I am,” 
said I, seating myself carelessly upon a 
rock, “ seeing that you had a chief hand 
in the outrages put upon me the other 
day by that rascally priest of yours ! ” 

At this the chief stepped up to me with 
an air of menace, his high-cheeked, cop- 
pery face scowling with wrath. But I eyed 
him steadily, and raised my hand with a 
little gesture of authority. “ Wait ! ” said 
I ; and he paused doubtfully. “ I have no 
grudge against you for that,” I went on. 
“You but obeyed your master’s orders 
faithfully, as you will doubtless obey mine 
a few weeks hence, when I take command 
of your rabble and try to make you of 
some real service to the King. I am one 
of the King’s captains.” 

At this the savage looked puzzled, 


A Bit of White Petticoat 13 1 


while his fellows grunted in manifest un- 
certainty. 

What you want ? ” he asked bluntly. 

I looked at him for some moments 
without replying. Then I glanced at the 
form of Mizpah Hanford, still unmoving, 
the face still hidden under that pathetic 
splendour of loosened hair. Prudence I 
could not catch view of, by reason of an- 
other tree which intervened. But the 
sound of her weeping had ceased. 

“ I am ready to ransom these prisoners 
of yours,” said I. 

The savages glanced furtively at each 
other, but the coppery masks of their 
features betrayed nothing. 

“ Not for ransom,” said the chief, with 
a dogged emphasis. 

I opened my eyes wide. “ You aston- 
ish me!” said I. ‘‘Then how will they 
profit you ? If you wanted their scalps, 
those you might have taken at Annapolis.” 

At that word, revealing that I knew 
whence they came, I took note of a stir 
in the silent figure beneath the maple. 
I felt that her eyes were watching me 


132 The Forge in the Forest 


from behind that sumptuous veil which 
her bound hands could not put aside, 
I went on, with a sudden sense of 
exaltation. 

Give me these prisoners/* I urged, 
half pleading, half commanding. They 
are useless to you except for ransom. 
I will give you more than any one else 
will give you. Tell me your price.** 

But the savage was obstinate. 

‘^Not for ransom,** he repeated, shak- 
ing his head. 

You are afraid of your priest,** said I, 
with slow scorn. “ He has told you to 
bring them to him. And what will you 
get ? A pistole or two for each ! But 
I will give you gold, good French crowns, 
ten times as much as you ever got before ! ** 
As I spoke, one of the listening sav- 
ages got up, his eyes a-sparkle with eager- 
ness, and muttered something in Micmac, 
which I could not understand. But the 
chief turned upon him so angrily that he 
slunk back, abashed. 

Agree with me now,** I said earnestly. 
“ Then wait here till I fetch the gold, and 


A Bit of White Petticoat 133 


I will deliver it into your hands before 
you deliver the captives/' 

But the chief merely turned aside with 
an air of settling the question, and re- 
peated angrily : — 

“ I say white girls not for ransom/' 

I rose to my feet. 

“ Fools, you are,” said I, ‘‘and no men, 
but sick women, afraid of your rascal 
priest. I offered to buy when I might 
have taken ! Now I will take, and you 
will get no ransom ! Unloose their 
bonds ! ” 

And I pointed with my sword, while 
my left hand rested upon a pistol in my 
belt. I am a very pretty shot with my 
left hand. 

Before the words were fairly out of 
my lips the four sprang at me. Stepping 
lightly aside, I fired the pistol full at the 
chief's breast, and he plunged headlong. 
In the next instant came a report from 
the edge of the underbrush, and a second 
savage staggered, groaned, and fell upon 
his knees, while Marc leaped down and 
rushed upon a third. The remaining one 


134 The Forge in the Forest 


snatched up his musket (the muskets 
were forgotten at the first, when I seemed 
to be alone), and took a hasty aim at me ; 
but before he could pull the trigger my 
second pistol blazed in his face, and he 
dropped, while his weapon, exploding 
harmlessly, knocked up some mud and 
grass. I saw Marc chase his antagonist 
to the canoes at the point of his sword, 
and prick him lightly for the more speed. 
But at the same instant, out of the corner 
of my eye, I saw the savage whom Marc’s 
shot had brought down struggle again to 
his feet and swing his hatchet. With a 
yell I was upon him, and my sword point 
(the point is swifter than the edge in an 
emergency) went through his throat with 
a sobbing click. But I was just too late. 
The hatchet had left his hand ; and the 
flying blade caught Marc in the shoulder. 
The sword dropped from his grasp, he 
reeled, and sat down with a shudder before 
I could get to his side. I paid no further 
heed to the remaining Indian, but w'as 
dimly conscious of him launching a canoe 
and paddling away in wild haste. 


<A. Bit of White Petticoat 135 


I lifted the dear lad into the shade, and 
anxiously ’examined the wound. 

'Tis but a flesh wound,” said he, 
faintly ; but I found that the blow had 
not only grievously gashed the flesh, but 
split the shoulder blade. 

Flesh wound ! ” I muttered. ‘‘You'll 
do no more fighting in this campaign, dear 
lad, unless they put it off till next spring. 
This shoulder will be months in mending.” 

“ When it does mend, will my arm be 
the same as ever ? ” he asked, somewhat 
tremulously. “ 'Tis my sword arm.” 

“ Yes, lad, yes ; you need not trouble 
about that,” said I. “ But it is a case for 
care.” 

In the meantime, I was cleansing the 
wound with salt water which I had 
brought from the river in my cap. 
Now, I cast about in my mind for a 
bandage ; and I looked at the prisoner 
beneath the maple. Marc first, courtesy 
afterwards, I thought in my heart ; for 
I durst not leave the wound exposed with 
so many flies in the air. 

The lady's little feet, bound cruelly. 


136 The Forge in the Forest 


were drawn up in part beneath her dark 
skirt, but so that a strip of linen petti- 
coat shone under them. I hesitated, but 
only for a second. Lifting the poor little 
feet softly to one side, with a stammered, 
‘‘Your pardon, Madame, but the need 
is instant ! ” I slit off a breadth of the 
soft white stuff with my sword. And 
I was astonished to feel my face flush 
hotly as I did it. With strangely thrill- 
ing fingers, and the help of my sword 
edge, I then set free her feet, and with 
no more words turned hastily back to 
Marc, abashed as a boy. 

In a few moments I had Marc’s wound 
softly dressed, for I had some skill in this 
rough and ready surgery. I could see by 
his contracting pupils that the hurt was 
beginning to agonize, but the dear lad 
never winced under my fingers, and I 
commended him heartily as a brave 
patient. Then placing a bundle of cool 
ferns under his head for a pillow, I 
turned to the captives, from whom there 
had been never a word this while. 


Chaptei’ XI 

I Fall a Willing Captive 

T he lady whose feet I had freed 
had risen so far as :to rest crouch- 
ing against the gnarled trunk of the 
maple tree. The glorious abundance of 
her hair she had shaken back, revealing 
a white face chiselled like a Madonna's, a 
mouth somewhat large, with lips curved 
passionately, and great sea-coloured eyes 
which gazed upon me from dark circles 
of pain. But the face was drawn now 
with that wordless and tearless anguish 
which makes all utterance seem futile, 
— the anguish of a mother whose child 
has been torn from her arms and car- 
ried she knows not whither. Her hands 
lay in her lap, tight bound ; and I 
noted their long, white slenderness. I 
felt as if I should go on my knees to 
137 


138 The Forge in the Forest 


serve her — I who had but just now 
served her with such scant courtesy as 
it shamed my soul to think on. As I 
bent low to loose her hands, I sought 
in my mind for phrases of apology that 
might show at the .same time my necessity 
and my contrition. But lifting my eyes 
for an instant to hers, I was pierced with 
a sense of the anguish which was rending 
her heart, and straightway I forgot all 
nice phrases. 

What I said — the words coming from 
my lips abruptly — was this : I will 

find him ! I will save him ! Be com- 
forted, Madame ! He shall be restored 
to you ! 

In great, simple matters, how little 
explanation seems needed. She asked 
not who I was, how I knew, whom I 
would save, how it was to be done ; and 
I thrill proudly even now to think how 
my mere word convinced her. The tense 
lines of her face yielded suddenly, and 
she broke into a shaking storm of tears, 
moaning faintly over and over — ‘‘Philip! 
— Oh, my Philip 1 — Oh, my boy 1 ” I 


I Fall a Willing Captive 139 


watched her with a great compassion. 
Then, ere I could prevent, she amazed 
me by snatching my hand and pressing 
it to her lips. But she spoke no word 
of thanks. Drawing my hand gently 
away, in great embarrassment, I repeated : 

Believe me, oh, believe me, Madame ; I 
will save the little one.” Then I went 
to release the other captive, whom I had 
well-nigh forgotten the while. 

This lily maid of Marc’s, this Prudence, 
I found in a white tremour of amazement 
and inquiry. From where she sat in her 
bonds, made fast to her tree, she could 
see nothing of what went on, but she 
could hear everything, and knew she 
had been rescued. It was a fair, frank, 
childlike face she raised to mine as I 
smiled down upon her, swiftly and gently 
severing her bonds ; and I laid a hand 
softly on that rich hair which Marc had 
praised, being right glad he loved so sweet 
a maid as this. I forgot that I must have 
seemed to her in this act a shade familiar, 
my fatherly forty years not showing in my 
face. So, indeed, it was for an instant, I 


140 The Forge in the Forest 


think ; for she coloured maidenly. But 
seeing the great kindness in my eyes, the 
thought was gone. Her own eyes filled 
with tears, and she sprang up and clung 
to me, sobbing, like a child just awakened 
in the night from a bad dream. 

“ Oh,*' she panted, are they gone ? 
did you kill them ? how good you are ! 
Oh, God will reward you for being so 
good to us ! '' And she trembled so she 
would certainly have fallen if I had not 
held her close. 

“You are safe now, dear,” said I, 
soothing her, quite forgetting that she 
knew me not as I knew her, and that, 
if she gave the matter any heed at all, 
my speech must have puzzled her sorely. 
“ But come with me ! ” And I led her 
to where Marc lay in the shade. 

The dear lad's face had gone even 
whiter than when I left him, and I saw 
that he had swooned. 

“The pain and shock have overcome 
him ! ” I exclaimed, dropping on my 
knees to remove the pillow of ferns 
from under his head. As I did so, I 


I Fall a Willing Captive 141 


heard "the girl catch her breath sharply, 
with a sort of moan, and glancing up, 
I saw her face all drawn with misery. 
While I looked in some surprise, she 
suddenly threw herself down, and crushed 
his face in her bosom, quite shutting off 
the air, which he, being in a faint, greatly 
needed. I was about to protest, when 
her words stopped me. 

“ Marc, Marc,” she moaned, “ why did 
you betray us ? Oh, why did you betray 
us so cruelly ? But oh, I love you even 
if you were a traitor. Now you are dead” 
(she had not heard me, evidently, saying 
he had swooned), “ now you are dead I 
may love you, no matter what you did. 
Oh, my love, why did you, why did 
you ? ” And while I listened in bewil- 
derment, she sprang to her feet, and her 
blue eyes blazed upon me fiercely. 

‘‘You killed him!” she hissed at me 
across his body. 

This I remembered afterwards. At the 
moment I only knew that she was calling 
the lad a traitor. That I was well tired 
of. 


142 The Forge in the Forest 


‘‘ Madame ! ” said I, sternly. “ Do not 
presume so far as to touch him again.” 

It was her turn to look astonished now. 
Her eyes faltered from my angry face to 
Marc's, and back again in a kind of help- 
lessness. 

Oh, you do well to accuse him,” I 
went on, bitterly, — perhaps not very rel- 
evantly. “ You shall not dishonour him 
by touching him, you, who can believe 
vile lies of the loyal gentleman who loves 
you, and has, it may be, given his life for 
the girl who now insults him.” 

The girl's face was now in such a con- 
fusion of distress that I almost, but not 
quite, pitied her. Ere she could find 
words to reply, however, her sister was 
at her side, catching her hands, murmur- 
ing at her ear. 

“ Why, Prudence, child,” she said, 
don't you see it all? Didn't you see 
it all ? How splendidly Marc saved us ” 
(I blessed the tact which led her to put 
the first credit on Marc) — “ Marc and 
this most brave and gallant gentleman ? 
It was one of the savages who struck 


I Fall a Willing Captive 143 


Marc down, before my eyes, as he was 
fighting to save us. That dreadful story 
was a lie. Prudence ; don’t you see ? ” 

The maid saw clearly enough, and with 
a mighty gladness. She was for throwing 
herself down again beside the lad to cover 
his face with kisses — and shut off the air 
which he so needed. But I thrust her 
aside. She had believed Marc a traitor. 
Marc might forgive her when he could 
think for himself. I was in no mind to. 

She looked at me with unutterable re- 
proach, her eyes filling and running over, 
but she drew back submissively. 

“ I know,” she said, ‘‘ I don’t deserve 
that you should let me go near him. But 
— I think — I think he would want me 
to, sir ! See, he wants me ! Oh, let me !” 
And I perceived that Marc’s eyes had 
opened. They saw no one but the maid, 
and his left hand reached out to her. 

‘‘ Oh, well ! ” said I, grimly. And 
thereafter it seemed to me that the lad 
got on with less air than men are accus- 
tomed to need when they would make 
recovery from a swoon. 


144 The Forge in the Forest 


I turned to Mizpah Hanford ; and I 
wondered what sort of eyes were in Marc’s 
head, that he should see Prudence when 
Mizpah was by. Before I could speak, 
Mizpah began to make excuses for her 
sister. With heroic fortitude she choked 
back her own grief, and controlled her 
voice with a brave simplicity. Coming 
from her lips, these broken excuses 
seemed sufficient — though to this day 
I question whether I ought to have 
relented so readily. She pleaded, and I 
listened, and was content to listen so 
long as she would continue to plead. 
But there was little I clearly remember. 
At last, however, these words, with 
which she concluded, aroused me : — 

ow could we any longer refuse to 
believe,” she urged, “ when the good priest 
confessed to us plainly, after much ques- 
tioning, that it was Monsieur Marc de 
Mer who had sent the savages to steal us, 
and had told them just the place to find 
us, and the hour? The savages had told 
us the same thing at first, taunting us 
with it when we threatened them with 


I Fall a Willing Captive 145 


Marc’s vengeance. You see. Monsieur, 
they had plainly been informed by some 
one of our little retreat at the riverside, 
and of the hour at which we were wont to 
frequent it. Yet we repudiated the tale 
with horror. Then yesterday, when the 
good priest told us the same thing, with 
a reluctance which showed his horror of 
it, what could we do but believe ? Though 
it did seem to us that if Marc were false 
there could be no one true. The priest 
believed it. He was kind and pitiful, and 
tried to get the savages to set us free. He 
talked most earnestly, most vehemently 
to them ; but it was in their own barba- 
rous language, and of course we could not 
understand. He told us at last that he 
could do nothing at the time, but that he 
would exert himself to the utmost to get 
us out of their hands by and by. Then 
he went away. And then — ” 

‘‘And then, Madame,” said I, “your 
little one was taken from you at his 
orders ! ” 

“ Why, what do you mean. Mon- 
sieur ? ” she gasped, her great sea-coloured 


146 The Forge in the Forest 


eyes opening wide with fresh terror. “ At 
his orders ^ By the orders of that kind 
priest ? ” 

Of what appearance was he ? ” I in- 
quired, in return. 

Oh,'' she cried breathlessly, he was 
square yet spare of figure, dark-skinned 
almost as Marc, with a very wide lower 
face, thin, thin lips, and remarkably light 
eyes set close together, — a strange, strong 
face that might look very cruel if he were 
angry. He looked angry once when he 
was arguing with the Indians." 

‘‘You have excellently described our 
bitterest foe, and yours, Madame," said I, 
smiling. “ The wicked Abbe La Game, 
the pastor and master of these poor tools 
of his whom I would fain have spared, 
but could not." And I pointed to the 
bodies of the three dead savages, where 
they lay sprawling in various pathetic 
awkwardnesses of posture. 

She looked, seemed to think of them 
for the first time, shivered, and turned 
away her pitiful eyes. 

“Those poor wretches," I continued. 


I Fall a Willing Captive 147 


“ were sent by this kind priest to capture 
you. He knew when and where to find 
you, because he had played the eaves- 
dropper when Marc and I were talking 
of you.” 

“ Oh,” she cried, clenching her white 
hands desperately, ‘‘ can there be a priest 
so vile ? ” 

“ Ay, and this which you have heard 
is but a part of his villany. We have 
but lately baulked him in a plot whereby 
he had nearly got Marc hanged. This, 
Madame, I promise myself the honour of 
relating to you by and by ; but now we 
must get the poor lad removed to some 
sort of house and comfort.” 

“ And, oh,” cried this poor mother, in 
a voice of piercing anguish and amaze- 
ment, as if she could not yet wholly 
realize it, — ‘‘ my boy, my boy ! He is 
in the power of such a monster ! ” 

Be of good heart, I beseech you,” 
said I, with a kind of passion in my voice. 
“ I will find him, I swear I will bring him 
back to you. I will wait only so long as 
to see my own boy in safe hands ! ” 


148 The Forge in the Forest 


Again that look of trust was turned 
upon me, thrilling me with invincible 
resolve. 

‘‘ Oh, I trust you. Monsieur ! ” she 
cried. Then pressing both hands to her 
eyes with a pathetic gesture, and thrusting 
back her hair — I knew you, somehow, 
for the Seigneur de Briart,'' she went on, 
as soon as I heard you demanding our 
release. And I immediately felt a great 
hope that you would set us free and save 
Philip. I suppose it is from Marc that I 
have learned such confidence. Monsieur!” 

I bowed, awkward and glad, and with- 
out a pretty word to repay her with, — I 
who have some name in Quebec for well- 
turned compliment. But before this 
woman, who was young enough to be my 
daughter, I was like a green boy. 

You are too kind,” I stammered. “ It 
will be my great ambition to justify your 
good opinion of me.” 

Then I turned away to launch a canoe. 
While I busied myself getting the canoe 
ready, and spreading ferns in the bottom of 
it for Marc to lie on, Mizpah walked up 


I Fall a Willing Captive 149 

and down in a kind of violent speechless- 
ness, as it were, twisting her long white 
hands, but no more giving voice to her 
grief and her anxiety. Once she sat down 
abruptly under the maple tree, and buried 
her face in her hands. Her shoulders 
shook, but not a sound of sob or moan 
came to my ears. My heart ached at the 
sight. I determined that I would give her 
work to do, such as would compel some 
attention on her part. 

As soon as the canoe was ready I asked : 

Can you paddle, Madame ? ” 

She nodded an affirmative, her voice 
seeming to have gone from her. 

“ Very well,’* said I, then you will 
take the bow paddle, will you not ? ” 

“ Yes, indeed ! ” she found voice to cry, 
with an eagerness which I took to signify 
that she thought by paddling hard to find 
her child the sooner. But the manner in 
which she picked up the paddle, and took 
her place, and held the canoe, showed me 
she was no novice in the art of canoeing. 

I now went to lift Marc and carry him 
to the canoe. 


150 The Forge in the Forest 


“ Let me help you,” pleaded Prudence, 
springing up from beside him. “ He 
must be so heavy ! ” Whereat I laughed. 

‘‘ I can walk, I am sure. Father,” said 
Marc, faintly, ‘‘ if you put me on my feet 
and steady me.” 

‘‘ I doubt it, lad,” said I, and ’tis 
hardly worth while wasting your little 
strength in the attempt. Now, Prudence,” 
I went on, turning to the girl, “ I want 
you to get in there in front of the middle 
bar, and make a comfortable place for this 
man's head, — if you don’t mind taking a 
live traitor’s head in your lap ! ” 

At this the poor girl’s face flushed scar- 
let, as she quickly seated herself in the 
canoe ; and her lips trembled so that my 
heart smote me for the jest. 

Forgive me, child. I meant it not as 
a taunt, but merely as a poor jest,” I has- 
tened to explain. ‘‘Your sister has told 
me all, and you were scarce to blame. 
Now, take the lad and make him as com- 
fortable as a man with a shattered shoulder 
can hope to be.” And I laid Marc gently 
down so that he could slip his long legs 


I Fall a Willing Captive 151 


under the bar. He straightway closed his 
eyes from sheer weakness ; but he could 
feel his maid bend her blushing face over 
his, and his expression was a strangely 
mingled one of suffering and content. 

Taking my place in the stern of the 
canoe, 1 pushed out. The tide was just 
beginning to ebb. There was no wind. 
The shores were green and fair on either 
hand. My dear lad, though sore hurt, 
was happy in the sweet tenderness of his 
lily maid. As for me, I looked perhaps 
overmuch at the radiant head of Mizpah, 
at the lithe vigorous swaying of her long 
arms, the play of her gracious shoulders 
as she paddled strenuously. I felt that 
it was good to be in this canoe, all of us 
together, floating softly down to the little 
village beside the Canard’s mouth. 











Part II 
M i z p a h 










Chapter XII 

In a Strange Fellowship 

I TO OK Marc and the ladies to the 
house of one Giraud, a well-tried and 
trusted retainer, to whom 1 told the whole 
affair. Then I sent a speedy messenger 
to Father Fafard, begging him to come at 
once. The Cure of Grand Pre was a 
skilled physician, and I looked to him to 
treat Marc’s wound better than I could 
hope to do. My purpose, as I unfolded 
it to Marc and to the ladies that same 
evening, sitting by Marc’s pallet at the 
open cottage door, was to start the very 
next day in quest of the stolen child. I 
would take but one follower, to help me 
paddle, for I would rely not on force but 
on cunning in this venture. I would 
warn some good men among my tenants, 
and certain others who were in the coun- 


155 


156 The Forge in the Forest 


sels of the Forge, to keep an unobtrusive 
guard about the place, till Marc’s wound 
* should be so far healed that he might go 
to Grand Pre. And further, I would put 
them all in the hands of Father Fafard, 
with whom even the Black Abbe would 
scarce dare to meddle openly. 

The Cure,” said I, turning to Mizpah, 
you may trust both for his wisdom and 
his goodness. With him you will all be 
secure till my return.” 

Mizpah bowed her head in acknowl- 
edgment, and looked at me gratefully, 
but could not trust herself to speak. 
She sat a little apart, by the door, and 
was making a mighty effort to maintain 
her outward composure. 

Then I turned to where Marc’s face, 
pallid but glad, shone dimly on his pillow. 
I took his hand, I felt his pulse — for the 
hundredth time, perhaps. There was no 
more fever, no more prostration, than was 
to be accounted inevitable from such a 
wound. So I said : — 

‘‘ Does the plan commend itself to you, 
dear lad P It troubles me sore to leave 


In a Strange Fellowship 157 


you in this plight; but Father Fafard is 
skilful, and I think you will not fret for 
lack of tender nursing. You will not 
need me, lad ; but there is a little lad with 
yellow hair who needs me now, and I must 
go to him.’’ 

The moment I had spoken these last 
words I wished them back, for Mizpah 
broke down all at once in a terrible passion 
of tears. But I was ever a bungler where 
women are concerned, ever saying the 
wrong thing, ever slow to understand 
their strange, swift shiftings of mood. 
This time, however, I understood ; for 
with my words a black realization of the 
little one’s lonely fear came down upon 
my own soul, till my heart cried out with 
pity for him ; and Prudence fell a-weeping 
by Marc’s head. But she stopped on the 
instant, fearing to excite Marc hurtfully, 
and Marc said : — 

“ Indeed, Father, think not a moment 
more of me. ’Tis the poor little lad that 
needs you. Oh that I too could go with 
you on the quest ! ” 

“To-morrow I go,” said I, positively, 


158 The Forge in the Forest 

“just as soon as I have seen Father 
Fafard/^ 

As I spoke, Mizpah went out suddenly, 
and walked with rapid strides down the 
road, passing Giraud on the way as he 
came from mending the little canoe which 
I was to take. I had chosen a small and 
light craft, not knowing what streams I 
might have to ascend, what long carries 
I might have to make. As Mizpah 
passed him, going on to lean her arms 
upon the fence and stare out across the 
water, Giraud turned to watch her for a 
moment. Then, as he came up to the 
door where we sat, he took off his woollen 
cap, and said simply, “ Poor lady ! it goes 
hard with her.'* 

“ My friend,’’ said I, “ will these, while 
I am gone, be safe here from their ene- 
mies, — even should the Black Abbe come 
in person ? ” 

“ Master,” he replied, with a certain 
proud nobility, which had ever impressed 
me in the man, “if any hurt comes to 
them, it will be not over my dead body 
alone, but over those of a dozen more 


In a Strange Fellowship 159 

stout fellows who would die to serve 
you/' 

“ I believe you," said I, reaching out 
my hand. He kissed it, and went off 
quickly about his affairs. 

Hardly was he gone when Mizpah 
came back. She was very pale and calm, 
and her eyes shone with the fire of some 
intense purpose. Had I known woman's 
heart as do some of my friends whom I 
could mention, I should have fathomed 
that purpose at her first words. But as 
I have said, I am slow to understand a 
woman's hints and objects, though men 
I can read ere their thoughts find speech. 
There was a faint glory of the last of 
sunset on Mizpah's face and hair as she 
stood facing me, her lips parted to speak. 
Behind her lay the little garden, with its 
sunflowers and lupines, and its thicket of 
pole beans in one corner. Then, beyond 
the gray fence, the smooth tide of the 
expanding river, violet-hued, the copper 
and olive wood, the marshes all greenish 
amber, and the dusky purple of the hills. 
It was all stamped upon my memory 


i6o The Forge in the Forest 


in delectable and imperishable colours, 
though I know that at the moment I saw 
only Mizpah’s tall grace, her red-gold 
hair, the eyes that seemed to bring my 
spirit to her feet. I was thinking, “Was 
there ever such another woman’s face, or 
a presence so gracious ? ” when I realized 
that she was speaking. 

“ Do I paddle well. Monsieur ? ” she 
asked, with the air of one who repeats a 
question. 

“ Pardon, a thousand pardons, Ma- 
dame ! ” I exclaimed. “Yes, you use 
your paddle excellently well.” 

“And I can shoot, I can shoot very 
skilfully,” she went on, with strong em- 
phasis. “ I can handle both pistol and 
musket.” 

“Indeed, Madame!” said I, considera- 
bly astonished. 

“Ask Marc if I am not a cunning 
shot,” she persisted, while her eyes seemed 
to burn through me in their eager intent- 
ness. 

“Yes, Father,” came Marc’s whispered 
response out of the shadow, where I 


In a Strange Fellowship i6i 


saw only the bended head of the maid 
Prudence. “ Yes, Father, she is a more 
cunning marksman than I.'' 

I turned again to her, and saw that she 
expected, that she thirsted for, an answer. 
But what answer ? 

‘‘ Madame,’' said I, bowing profoundly, 
and hoping to cover my bewilderment 
with a courtly speech, may I hope that 
you will fire a good shot for me some 
day ; I should account it an honour above 
all others if I might be indebted to such a 
hand for such succour.” 

She clasped her hands in a great glad- 
ness, crying, ‘‘Then I may go with 
you?” 

“ Go with me ! ” I cried, looking at 
her in huge amazement. 

“She wants to help you find the child,” 
whispered Marc. 

The thought of this white girl among 
the perils which I saw before me pierced 
my heart with a strange pang, and in my 
haste I cried rudely : — 

“ Nonsense ! Impossible ! Why, it 
would be mere madness ! ” 


1 62 The Forge in the Forest 


So bitter was the pain of disappoint- 
ment which wrung her face that I put 
out both hands towards her in passionate 
deprecation. 

‘‘Forgive me; oh, forgive me, Ma- 
dame!” I pleaded. “But how could I 
bring you into such perils ? ” 

But she caught my hands and would 
have gone on her knees to me if I had 
not stayed her roughly. 

“Take me with you,” she implored. 
“ I can paddle, I can serve you as well 
as any man whom you can get. And I 
am brave, believe me. And how can I 
wait here when my boy, my darling, my 
Philip, is alone among those beasts ? I 
would die every hour.” 

How could I refuse her ? Yet refuse 
her 1 would, I must. To take her would 
be to lessen my own powers, I thought, 
and to add tenfold to the peril of the 
venture. Nevertheless my heart did now 
so leap at the thought of this strange, 
close fellowship which she demanded, 
that I came near to silencing my better 
judgment, and saying she might go. 


In a Strange Fellowship 163 


But I shut my teeth obstinately on 
the words. 

At this moment, while she waited 
trembling, Marc once more intervened. 

‘‘You might do far worse than take 
her. Father. No one else will serve you 
more bravely or more skilfully, I think.’' 

So Marc actually approved of this in- 
credible proposal ? Then was it, after all, 
so preposterous ? My wavering must 
have shown itself in my face, for her 
own began to lighten rarely. 

“ But — those clothes ! ” said I. 

At this she flushed to her ears. But 
she answered bravely. 

“ I will wear others ; did you think I 
would so hamper you with this guise ? 
No,” she added with a little nervous 
laugh, “ I will play the man ; be sure.” 

And so, though I could scarce believe 
it, it was settled that Mizpah Hanford 
should go with me. 

That night I found little sleep. My 
thoughts were a chaos of astonishment 
and apprehension. Marc, moreover, kept 
tossing, for his wound fretted him sorely, 


164 The Forge in the Forest 


and I was continually at his side to give 
him drink. At about two in the morn- 
ing there came a horseman to the garden 
gate, riding swiftly. Hurrying out I met 
him in the path. It was Father Fafard, 
come straight upon my word. He turned 
his horse into Giraud’s pasture, put saddle 
and bridle in the porchway, and then fol 
lowed me in to Marc's bedside. 

When he had dressed the wound an 
and administered a soothing draught, M 
fell into a quiet sleep. 

He will do well, but it is a matr 
for long patience," said the Cure. 

Then we went out of the house an^x 
down to the garden corner by the thicket 
of beans, where we might talk freely and 
jar no slumberers. Father Fafard fell in 
with my plans most heartily, and accepted 
my charges. To hold the Black Abbe in 
check at any point, would, he felt, be 
counted unto him for righteousness. 

My mind being thus set at ease, I 
resolved to start as soon as might be after 
daybreak. 

Before it was yet full day, I was again 


In a Strange Fellowship 165 


astir, and goodwife Giraud was getting 
ready, in bags, our provision of bacon and 
black bread. I had many small things to 
do, — gathering ammunition for two mus- 
kets and four pistols, selecting my paddles 
with care from Giraud’s stock, and loading 
the canoe to the utmost advantage for ease 
of running and economy of space. Then, 
as I went in to the goodwife's breakfast, 
I was met at the door by a slim youth in 
leathern coat and leggins, with two pistols 
and Marc’s whinger. I recognized the 
carven hilt stuck bravely in his belt, and 
Marc’s knitted cap of gray wool on his 
head, well pulled down. The boy blushed, 
but met my eye with a sweet firmness, and 
I bowed with great courtesy. Even in this 
attire I thought she could not look aught 
but womanly — for it was Mistress Miz- 
pah. Yet I could not but confess that 
to the stranger she would appear but as a 
singularly handsome stripling. The glory 
of her hair was hidden within her cap. 

These are the times,” said I, seriously, 
“ that breed brave women.” 

Breakfast done, messages and orders 


1 66 The Forge in the Forest 


repeated, and farewells all spoken, the sun 
was perhaps an hour high when we pad- 
died away from the little landing under 
Giraud’s garden fence. I waved my cap 
backwards to Prudence and the Cure, 
where they stood side by side at the 
landing. My comrade in the bow waved 
her hand once, then fell to paddling dili- 
gently. I was still in a maze of wonder- 
ment, ready at any time to wake and 
find it a dream. But the little seas that 
slapped us as we cleared the river mouth, 
these were plainly real. I headed for the 
eastern point of the island, intending to 
land at the mouth of the Piziquid and 
make some inquiries. The morning air 
was like wine in my veins. There was 
a gay dancing of ripples over toward 
Blomidon, and the sky was a clear blue. 
A dash of cool drops wet me. It was 
no dream. 

And so in a strange fellowship I set 
out to find the child. 


Chapter XIII 
My Comrade 

I COULD not sufficiently commend 
the ease and aptness with which 
my beautiful comrade wielded her paddle. 
But in a while the day grew hot, and I 
bade her lie back in her place and rest. 
At first she would not, till I was com- 
pelled to remind her in a tone of railing 
that I was the captain in this enterprise, 
and that good soldiers must obey. Where- 
upon, though her back was toward me, I 
saw a flush creep around to her little ears, 
and she laid the paddle down something 
abruptly. I feared that I had vexed her, 
and I made haste to attempt an explana- 
tion, although it seemed to me that she 
should have understood a matter so ob- 
vious. 

“ I beg you to pardon me, Madame, 

167 


i68 


The Forge in the Forest 


if I seem to insist too much/' said I, with 
hesitation. “ But you must know that, 
if you exhaust yourself at the beginning 
of the journey, before you are hardened 
to the long continuance of such work, 
you will be unable to do anything to- 
morrow, and our quest will be much 
hindered." 

“Forgive me!" she cried; “you are 
right, of course. Oh, I fear I have done 
wrong in hampering you ! But I am 
strong, truly, and enduring as most men. 
Monsieur." 

“ Yes," I answered, “ but to do one 
thing strenuously all day long, and for 
days thereafter, that is hard. I believe 
you can do it, or I should have been 
mad indeed to bring you. But you 
must let me advise you at the beginning. 
For this first day, rest often and save 
yourself as much as possible. By this 
means you will be able to do better to- 
morrow, and better still the day after. 
By the other means, you will be able to 
do little to-morrow most likely, and per- 
haps nothing the day after." 


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My Comrade 


169 


‘‘Well/’ she said, turning her head 
partly around, so that I could see the 
gracious profile, “ tell me. Monsieur, 
when to work and when to rest. I will 
obey. It is a lucky soldier, I know, who 
has the Seigneur de Briart to command 
him.” 

“But I fear, Madame,” said I, “that 
discipline would sadly suffer if he had 
often such soldiers to command.” 

To this she made no reply. I saw 
that she leaned back in her place and 
changed her posture, so as to fulfil my 
wish and rest herself to the best advan- 
tage. I thought my words over. To 
me they seemed to have that savour of 
compliment which I would now avoid. 
I felt that here, under these strange cir- 
cumstances, in an intimacy which might 
by and by be remembered by her with 
some little confusion, but which now, 
while she had no thought but for the 
rescue of the little one, contained no 
shadow of awkwardness for her clear and 
earnest soul, — I felt that here I must 
hold myself under bonds. The play of 


lyo The Forge in the Forest 


graceful compliment, such as I would 
have practised in her drawing-room to 
show her the courtliness of my breeding, 
must be forsworn. The admiration, the 
devotion, the worship, that burned in my 
eyes whensoever they dwelt upon her, 
must be strictly veiled. I must seem to 
forget that I am a man and my com- 
panion the fairest of women. Yes, I 
kept telling myself, I must regard her 
as a comrade only, and a follower, and 
a boy. I must be frank and careless in 
my manner toward her ; kind, but blunt 
and positive. She will think nothing of 
it now, and will blush the less for it by 
and by, when the child is in her arms 
again, and she can once more give her 
mind to little matters. 

And so I schooled myself; and as I 
watched her I began to realize more and 
more, with a delicious warming of my 
heart, what instant need I had of such 
schooling if I would not have her see 
how I was not at all her captain, but 
her bondsman. 

At the mouth of the Piziquid stream 


My Comrade 


171 

there clustered a few cottages, not enough 
to call a village ; and here we stopped 
about noon. A meal of milk and eggs 
and freshly baked rye cakes refreshed us, 
and eager as was our haste, I judged it 
wise to rest an hour stretched out in the 
shade of an apple tree. To this halt, 
Mizpah, after one glance of eager ques- 
tion at my face, made no demur, and I 
replied to the glance by whispering : — 

“That is a good soldier! We will gain 
by this pause, now. We will travel late 
to-night.’' 

The cottagers of whom we had our 
meal were folk unknown to me ; and 
being informed that the Black Abbe had 
some followers in the neighbourhood, I 
durst give no hint of our purpose. By 
and by I asked carelessly if two canoes, 
with Indians of the Shubenacadie, had 
gone by this way. I thought that the 
man looked at me with some suspicion. 
He hesitated. But before he could reply 
his goodwife answered for him, with the 
freedom of a clear conscience. 

“ Yes, M’sieu,” she chattered, “ two 


172 The Forge in the Forest 


canoes, and four Indians. They went by 
yesterday, toward sundown, stopping here 
for water from our well, — the finest water 
hereabouts, if I do say it ! ” 

‘‘They went up the river, I suppose,” 
said I. 

“ Oh, but no, M’sieu,” clattered on the 
worthy dame. “ They went straight up 
the bay. Yes, goodman,” she continued, 
changing her tone sharply, “ whenever 
I open my mouth you glare at me as 
if I was talking nonsense. What have 
I said wrong now, Fd like to know. 
Yes, Fd like very much to know that, 
goodman. Why should not the gentle- 
man know that they had — ” 

But here the man interrupted her 
roughly. “ Will you never be done 
your prating ? ” he cried. “ Can’t you 
see that you worry the gentlemen ? 
How should they care to know that 
the red rascals made a good catch of 
shad off the island ? Now, do go and 
get some of your fresh buttermilk for 
the gentlemen to drink before they go. 
Don’t you see they are starting ? ” 


My Comrade 


173 


And, indeed, Mizpah’s impatience to 
be gone was plainly evident, and we had 
rested long enough. I durst not look at 
her face, lest our host should perceive 
that I had heard what I wanted to hear. 
I spoke casually of the weather, and in- 
quired how his apples and his flax were 
faring, and so filled the minutes safely 
until the goodwife came with the butter- 
milk. Having both drunk gratefully of 
the cool, delicately acid, nourishing liquor, 
we gave the man a piece of silver, and set 
out in good heart. 

“We are on the right track, comrade,” 
said I, lightly, steering my course along 
the shore toward Cobequid. 

Her only answer was to fall a-paddling 
with such an eagerness that I had to 
check her. 

“ Now, now,” I said, “ more haste, less 
speed.” 

“ But I feel so strong now, and so 
rested,” she cried passionately. “ Might 
we not overtake them to-night ? ” 

“ Hardly so soon as that, I fear, 
Madame,” I answered. “ This is a stern 


174 The Forge in the Forest 


chase, and it is like to be a long one ; 
you must make up your mind to that, 
if you would not have a fresh disappoint- 
ment every hour.” 

‘‘ Oh,” she broke out, “ if it were your 
child you were trying to find and save, 
you would not be so cool about it.” 

Believe me, Madame,” said I, in a 
low voice, ‘‘ I am not perhaps as cool as 
I appear.” 

Oh, what a weak and silly creature 
I must seem to you ! ” she cried. “ But 
I will not be weak and silly when it comes 
to trial. Monsieur, I promise you. I will 
prove worthy of your confidence. But 
make allowance for me now, and do not 
judge me harshly. Every moment I 
seem to hear him crying for me. Mon- 
sieur.”^ And her head drooped forward 
in unspeakable grief. 

I could think of nothing, absolutely 
nothing, to say. I could only mutter 
hoarsely, ‘‘ I do not think you either weak 
or silly, Madame.” 

This answer, feeble as it appeared to 
myself, seemed in a sense to relieve her. 


My Comrade 


175 


She put down her paddle, leaned forward 
upon the front bar, with her face in her 
hands, and sobbed gently for a few min- 
utes. Then, while 1 gazed upon her 
in rapt commiseration, she all at once 
resumed the paddle briskly. 

For my own part, being just lately re- 
turned from a long expedition, my muscles 
were like steel ; I felt that I should never 
weary. Steadily onward we pressed, past 
the mouths of several small streams whose 
names I did not know, past headland 
after headland of red clay or pallid plaster 
rock. As the tide fell, we were driven 
far out into the bay, till sometimes there 
was a mile of oozy red flats parting us 
from the edge of the green. But as the 
tide rose again, we accompanied its seeth- 
ing vanguard, till at last we were again 
close in shore. A breeze soon after mid- 
day springing up behind us, we made 
excellent progress. But soon after sun- 
set a mist arose, which made our journey 
too perilous to be continued. I turned 
into a narrow cove between high banks, 
where the brawling of a shallow brook 


176 The Forge in the Forest 


promised us fresh water. And there, in a 
thicket of young fir trees growing at the 
foot of a steep bank, I set up the canoe 
on edge, laid some poles and branches 
against it, and had a secluded shelter for 
my lady. She looked at it with a grati- 
fied admiration and could never be done 
with thanking me. 

Being now near the Shubenacadie mouth, 
I durst not light a fire, but we uncomplain- 
ingly ate our black bread ; and then I said : 

‘‘We will start at first gray, comrade. 
You will need all the sleep you can win. 
Good night, and kindly dreams.” 

“ Good night. Monsieur,” she said 
softly, and disappeared. Then going 
down to the water’s side, I threw off 
my clothes, and took a swift plunge 
which steadied and refreshed me might- 
ily. Swimming in the misty and mur- 
murous darkness, my venture and my 
strange fellowship seemed more like a 
dream to me than ever, and I could 
scarce believe myself awake. But I was 
awake enough to feel it when, in stum- 
bling ashore, I scraped my foot painfully 


My Comrade 


177 


on a jagged shell. However, that hurt 
was soon eased and staunched by holding 
it for a little under the chill gushing of 
the brook ; after which I dressed myself, 
gathered a handful of ferns for a pillow, 
and laid myself down across the opening 
which led into the thicket. 


Chapter XIV 

My Comrade Shoots Excellently Well 

F rom a medley of dreams, in which 
I saw Mizpah binding the Black 
Abbe with cords of her own hair — tight, 
tighter, till they ate into his flesh, and I 
trembled at the look of shaking horror in 
his face ; in which then I saw the child 
chasing butterflies before the door of the 
Forge in the Forest, and heard Babin’s 
hammer beating musically on his anvil, 
till the sound became the chiming of the 
Angelus over the roofs and walls of Que- 
bec, where Mizpah and I walked hand 
fast together on the topmost bastion, — 
from such a fleeting and blending con- 
fusion as this, I woke to feel a hand 
laid softly on my face in the dark. I 
needed no seeing to tell me whose was 
the hand, so slim, so cool, so softly firm ; 
178 


My Comrade Shoots Well 179 


and I had much ado to keep my lips from 
reverently kissing it. 

“ Monsieur, Monsieur,” came the whis- 
per, ‘‘ what is that noise, that voice ? ” 

“ Pardon me, comrade, for sleeping so 
soundly,” I murmured, sitting up, and 
taking her hand in mine with a rough 
freedom of goodwill, as merely to reas- 
sure her. “ What is it you hear ? ” 

But before she could reply, I heard 
it myself, a strange, chanting cry, slow 
and plangent, from far out upon the 
water. Presently I caught the words, 
and knew the voice. 

Woe, woe to Acadie the fair,” it came 
solemnly, “ for the day of her desolation 
draws nigh ! ” 

‘‘ It is Grul,” said I, “ passing in his 
canoe, on some strange errand of his.” 

‘‘ Grul ? Who is Grul ? ” she ques- 
tioned, clinging a little to my hand, and 
then dropping it suddenly. 

‘‘A quaint madman of these parts,” 
said I ; and yet I think his madness 
is in some degree a feigning. He has 
twice done me inestimable service — once 


i8o The Forge in the Forest 


warning us of an immediate peril, and 
again yesterday, in leading us to the spot 
where you were held captive. For some 
reason unknown to me, he has a mar- 
vellous kindness for me and mine. But 
the Black Abbe he hates in deadly fashion 
— for some ancient and ineffaceable wrong, 
if the tale tell true.” 

And he brought you to us ? ” she 
murmured, with a sort of stillness in her 
yoice, which caught me strangely. 

“Yes, Grul did!” said I. 

And then there was silence between us, 
and we heard the mysterious and sol- 
emn voice passing, and dying away in the 
distance. My ears at last being released 
from the tension of listening, my eyes 
began to serve me, and through the 
branches I marked a grayness spreading 
in the sky. 

“We must be stirring, Madame,” said 
I, rising abruptly to my feet. “ Let us 
take our bread down to the brook and eat 
it there.” 

But she was already gone, snatching up 
the sack of bread ; and in a few minutes. 


My Comrade Shoots Well i8i 


having righted the canoe and carried it 
down to a convenient landing-place, I 
joined her. She was stretched flat beside 
a little basin of the brook, her cap off, her 
hair in a tight coil high upon her head, 
her sleeves pulled up, while she splashed 
her face and arms in the running coolness. 
Without pulling down her sleeves or re- 
suming her cap, she seated herself on a 
stone and held out to me a piece of bread. 
In the coldly growing dawn her hair and 
lips were colourless, the whiteness of her 
arms shadowy and spectral. Then as we 
slowly made our meal, I bringing water 
for her in my drinking-horn, the rose and 
fire and violet of sunrise began to sift 
down into our valley and show me again 
the hues of life in Mizpah’s face. I 
sprang up, handed her the woollen cap, 
and tried hard to keep my eyes from 
dwelling upon the sweet and gracious 
curves of her arms. 

Aboard ! Aboard ! I cried, and 
moved off in a bustling fashion to get 
the paddles. In a few minutes we were 
under way, thrusting out from the shore, 


1 82 The Forge in the Forest 


and pushing through myriad little curling 
wisps of vapour, which rose in pale hues 
of violet and pink all over the oil-smooth 
surface of the tide. 

For some time we paddled in silence. 
Then, when the sun’s first rays fell fairly 
upon us, I exclaimed lightly : — 

‘‘You must pull down your sleeves, 
comrade.” 

“ Why ? ” she asked quickly, turning 
her head and pausing in her stroke. 

“ For two excellent reasons besides the 
captain’s orders,” said I. “ In the first 
place, your arms will get so sore with 
sunburn, that you won’t be able to do 
your fair share of the work. In the 
second place, if we should meet any 
strangers, it would be difiicult to per- 
suade them that those arms were manly 
enough for a wood-ranger.” 

“ Oh,” she said quickly, and pulled 
down the sleeves in some confusion. 

All that morning we made excellent 
progress, with the help of a light follow- 
ing wind. When the sun was perhaps 
two hours high, the mouth of the Shu- 


My Comrade Shoots Well 183 


benacadie opened before us ; and because 
this river was the great highway of the 
Black Abbe’s red people, I ran the canoe 
in shore and concealed it till I had climbed 
a bluff near by and scanned the lower 
reaches of the stream. Finding all clear, 
we put out again, and with the utmost 
haste paddled past the mouth. Not till 
we were behind the further point, and 
running along under the shelter of a high 
bank, did I breathe freely. Then I praised 
Mizpah, for in that burst of speed her 
skill and force had amazed me. 

But she turned upon me with the ques- 
tion which I had looked for. 

“If that is the Black Abbe’s river,” 
said she, with great eyes fixing mine, 
“and the Indians have gone that way, 
why do we pass by ? ” 

“ I owe you an explanation, comrade,” 
said I. “I think in all likelihood, that way 
leads straight to your child ; but if we 
went that way, we would be the Abbe’s 
prisoners within the next hour, — and how 
would we help the child then ? Oh, no ; 
I am bound for the Black Abbe’s back 


184 The Forge in the Forest 


door. A few leagues beyond this lies the 
River des Saumons, and on its banks is 
a settlement of our Acadian folk. Many 
of them are of the Abbe's following, and 
all fear him ; but I have there two faithful 
men who are in the counsels of the Forge. 
One of these dwells some two miles back 
from the river, half a league this side of 
the village. I will go to him secretly, and 
send him on to the Shubenacadie for in- 
formation. Then we will act not blindly." 

To this of course she acquiesced at 
once, as being the only wise way ; but 
for all that, with each canoe-length that we 
left the Shubenacadie behind, the more 
did her paddle lag. The impulse seemed 
all gone out of her. Soon therefore I 
bade her lay down the blade and rest. 
In a little, when she had lain a while with 
her face upon her arms, — whether waking 
or not I could not tell, for she kept her 
face turned away from me, — she became 
herself again. 

No long while after noon, we ran into 
the mouth of the des Saumons. I was 
highly elated with the success that had so 


My Comrade Shoots Well 185 


far attended us, — the speed we had made, 
our immunity from hindrance and ques- 
tion. We landed to eat our hasty meal, 
but paused not long to rest, being urged 
now by the keen spur of imagined near- 
ness to our goal. Some two hours more 
of brisk paddling brought us to a narrow 
and winding creek, up which I turned. 
For some furlongs it ran through a wide 
marsh, but at length one bank grew high 
and copsy. Here I put the canoe to 
land, and stepped ashore, bidding Miz- 
pah keep her place. 

Finding the spot to my liking, I pulled 
the canoe further up on the soft mud, and 
astonished Mizpah by telling her that I 
must carry her up the bank. 

“ But why ? she cried. “ I can walk. 
Monsieur, as well as I could this morning 
— though \ am 2i little stiff,” she added 
naively. 

The good soldier asks not why,” said 
I, with affected severity. “ But I will 
tell you. In case any one should come 
in my absence, there must be but one 
track visible, and that track mine, leading 


1 86 The Forge in the Forest 


up and away toward the settlement. You 
must lie hidden in that thicket, and keep 
guard. Do you understand, Madame ^ ” 

‘‘Yes,’’ said she, — “but how can you ? 
— I am awfully heavy.” 

I laughed softly, picked her up as I 
would a child, and carried her to the edge 
of the woods, where I let her down on 
one end of a fallen tree. 

“Now, comrade,” said I, “if you will 
go circumspectly along this log you 
will leave no trace. Hide yourself in 
the thicket there close to the canoe, keep 
your pistols primed, and watch till I come 
back, — and the blessed Virgin guard 
you ! ” I added, with a sudden fervour. 

Then, having lifted the canoe alto- 
gether clear of the water, I set forth at 
a swinging trot for Martin’s farm. 

I found my trusty habitant at home, 
and ready to do any errand of mine ere I 
could speak it. But when I told him 
what I wanted of him he started in some 
excitement. 

“ Why, Monsieur,” he cried, “ I have 
the very tidings you seek. I myself saw 


My Comrade Shoots Well 187 


a canoe with two Indians pass up the river 
this morning ; and they had a little child 
with them, — a child with long yellow 
hair/' 

‘^Up this river!" I exclaimed. ‘‘Then 
whither can they be taking him ? " 

“ They did not leave him in the vil- 
lage," answered Martin, positively, “ for 
the word goes that they passed on up in 
great haste. By the route they have 
taken, they are clearly bound for the 
Straits — " 

“Ay, they’ll cross to the head of the 
Pictook, and descend that stream," said 
I. “ But which way will they turn then ? " 
— For I was surprised and confused at 
the information. 

“Well, Monsieur," said Martin, “when 
they get to the Straits, who knows ? They 
may be going across to He St. Jean. They 
may turn south to He Royale ; for the 
English, I hear, have no hold there, save 
at Louisburg and Canseau. Or they 
may turn north toward Miramichi. Who 
knows — save the Black Abbe ? " 

“ I must overtake them," said I, reso- 


1 88 The Forge in the Forest 


lutely. ‘^Good-bye, my friend and thank 
you. If all goes .well, you will get a 
summons from the Forge ere the moon 
is again at the full;'' and I made haste 
back to the spot where Mizpah waited. 

As I swung along, I congratulated my- 
self on the good fortune which had so 
held me to the trail. Then I fell to think- 
ing of my comrade, and the wonder of the 
situation, and the greater wonder of her 
eyes and hair, — which thoughts sped the 
time so sweetly that ere I could believe it 
I saw before me the overhanging willows, 
and the thicket by the stream. Then I 
stopped as if I had been struck in the 
face, and shook with a sudden fear. 

At my very feet, fallen across the dead 
tree which I have already mentioned, lay 
the body of an Indian. Every line of the 
loose, sprawled body told me that he had 
met an instant death, — and a bullet hole 
in his back showed me the manner of it. 
Only for a second did I pause. Then 
I sprang into the thicket, with a horror 
catching at my heart. There was Mizpah 
lying on her face, — and a hoarse cry 


My Comrade Shoots Well 189 


broke from my lips. But even as I 
flung myself down beside her I saw that 
she was not dead. No, she was shaking 
with sobs, — and the naturalness of it, 
strange to say, reassured me on the 
instant. I made to lift her, when she 
sprang at once to her feet, and looked 
at me wildly. I took her hand, to com- 
fort her ; but she drew it away, and 
gazed upon it with a kind of shrinking 
horror. 

I understood now what had happened. 
Nevertheless, knowing not just the best 
thing to say, I asked her what was the 
matter. 

Oh,’' she cried, covering her eyes, 
“ I killed him. He threw up his 
hands, and groaned, and fell like a log. 
How could I do it? How could I 
do it ? ” 

I tried to assure her that she had done 
well ; but finding that she would pay me 
no heed, I went to look at her victim. I 
turned him over, and muttered a thanks- 
giving to Heaven as I recognized him 
for one of the worst of the Black Abbe’s 


190 The Forge in the Forest 


flock. I found his tracks all about the 
canoe. Then I went back to Mizpah. 

‘^Good soldier! Good comrade!” said 
I, earnestly. ‘‘You have killed Little 
Fox, the blackest and cruelest rogue 
on the whole Shubenacadie. Oh, I tell 
you you have done a good deed this 
day ! ” 

The knowledge of this appeared to 
ease her somewhat, and in a few moments 
I gathered the details. The Indian had 
come suddenly to the bank, and seeing a 
canoe there had examined it curiously, — 
she, the while, waiting in great fear, for 
she had at once recognized him as one of 
her former captors, and one of whom she 
stood in special dread. While looking at 
our things in the canoe, he had appeared 
all at once to understand. He had picked 
up my coat, and examined it carefully, — 
and the grin that disclosed his long teeth 
disclosed also that he recognized it. 
Looking to the priming of his musket, 
he started cautiously up the bank upon 
my trail. 

“As soon as he left the canoe,” said 


My Comrade Shoots Well 191 


Mizpah, still shaken with sobs, ‘‘I knew 
that something must be done. If he went 
away, it would be just to give the alarm, 
and then we could not escape, and Philip 
would be lost forever. But I saw that, 
instead of going away, he was going to 
track you and shoot you down. I didn’t 
know what to do, or how I could ever 
shoot a man in cold blood, — but some- 
thing made me do it. Just as he reached 
the end of the log, I seemed to see him 
already shooting you, away in the woods 
over there, — and then I fired. And 
oh, oh, oh, I shall never forget how he 
groaned and fell over ! ” And she stared 
at her right hand. 

“ Comrade,” said I, ‘‘ I owe my life to 
you. He would have shot me down; for, 
as I think of it, I went carelessly, and 
seldom looked behind when I got into 
the woods. To be so incautious is not 
my way, believe me. I know not how it 
was, unless I so trusted the comrade 
whom I had left behind to guard my 
trail. And now, here are news ! They 
have brought the child this way, up this 


192 The Forge in the Forest 


very river ! The saints have surely led 
us thus far, for we are hot upon their 
track!” 

And this made her forget to weep for 
the excellence of her shooting. 


Chapter XV 

GruFs Hour 


T hough we were in a hot haste to 
get away, it was absolutely neces- 
sary first to bury the dead Indian, lest a 
hue and cry should be raised that might 
involve and delay us. With my paddle, 
therefore, I dug him a shallow grave in 
the soft mud at the edge of the tide, 
which was then on the ebb. This meagre 
inhumation completed, I smoothed the 
surface as best I could with my paddle ; 
and then we set off, resting easy in 
the knowledge that the next tide would 
smooth down all traces of the work. 

It was by this close upon sunset, and I 
felt a little hesitation as to what we had 
best do. I had no wish to run through 
the settlement till after dark, nor was I 
anxious to push on against the furious 
193 


194 The Forge in the Forest 


ebb of the des Saumons, against which the 
strongest paddlers could make slow head- 
way. But it was necessary to get out of 
the creek before the water should quite 
forsake us ; and, moreover, Mizpah was 
in a fever of haste to be gone. She 
kept gazing about as if she expected 
the savage to rise from his muddy grave 
and point at her. We ran out of the 
creek, therefore, and were instantly caught 
in the great current of the river. I suf- 
fered it to sweep us down for half a mile, 
having noted on the way up a cluster of 
haystacks in an angle of the dyke. Com- 
ing to these, I pushed ashore at once, car- 
ried the canoe up, and found that the 
place was one where we might rest secure. 
Here we ate our black bread and drank 
new milk, for there were many cattle pas- 
turing on the aftermath, and some of the 
cows had not yet gone home to milking. 
Then, hiding the canoe behind the dyke, 
and ourselves between the stacks, in great 
weariness we sought our sleep. 

There was no hint of dawn in the sky 
when I awoke with a start ; but the con- 


GruFs Hour 


195 


stellations had swung so wide an arc that 
I knew morning was close at hand. There 
was a hissing clamour in the river-bed 
which told me the tide was coming in. 
That, doubtless, was the change which 
had so swiftly aroused me. I went to 
the other side of the stack, where Miz- 
pah lay with her cheek upon her arm, 
her hair fallen adorably about her neck. 
Touching her forehead softly with my 
hand, I whispered : — 

Come, comrade, the tide has turned ! ” 
Whereupon she sat up quietly, as if this 
were for her the most usual of awaken- 
ings, and began to arrange her hair. I 
went out upon the shadowy marsh and 
soon accomplished a second theft of new 
milk, driving the tranquil cow which fur- 
nished it into the corner behind the stacks, 
that our dairy might be the more con- 
veniently at hand. Our fast broken (and 
though I hinted nought of it to Mizpah, 
I found black bread growing monotonous), 
I carried the canoe down to the edge of 
the tide. But Mistress Mizpah's dainti- 
ness revolted at the mud, whereupon she 


196 The Forge in the Forest 


took off her moccasins and stockings be- 
fore she came to it, and I caught a gleam 
of slim white feet at the dewy edge of 
the grass. When I had carried down 
the paddles, pole, and baggage, I found 
her standing in a quandary. She could 
not get into the canoe with that sticky 
clay clinging to her feet, and there was no 
place where she could sit down to wash 
them. Carelessly enough (though my 
heart the while trembled within me), I 
stretched out my hand to her, saying : — 
Lean on me, comrade, and then you 
can manage it all right.” 

And so it was that she managed it ; and 
so indifferently did I cast my eyes about, 
now at the breaking dawn, now at the 
swelling tide, that I am sure she must 
have deemed that I saw not or cared not 
at all how white and slender and shapely 
were her feet ! 

In few minutes we were afloat, going 
swiftly on the tide. The sky was all saf- 
fron as we slipped through the settlement, 
and a fairy glow lay upon the white cot- 
tages. The banks on either hand took 


GruFs Hour 


197 


on the ineffable hues of polished nacre. 
To the door of one cottage, close by the 
water, came a man yawning, and hailed 
us. But I flung back a mere Bon jour^' 
and sped on. Not till the settlement was 
out of sight behind us, not till the cross 
on the spire of the village was quite cut 
off from view, did I drop to the even pace 
of our day-long journeying. When at 
length we got beyond the influence of the 
tide, des Saumons was a shallow, sparkling, 
singing stream, its bed aglow with ruddy- 
coloured rocks. Here I laid aside my 
paddle and thrust the canoe onwards by 
means of my long pole of white spruce, 
while Mizpah had nought to do but lean 
back and watch the shores creep by. 

At the head of tide we had stopped to 
drink and to breathe a little. And there, 
seeing an old man working in front of a 
solitary cabin, I had deemed it safe to ap- 
proach him and purchase a few eggs. 
After this we kept on till an hour past 
noon, when I stopped in a bend of the 
river, at the foot of a perpendicular cliff of 
red rock some seventy or eighty feet in 


198 The Forge in the Forest 


height. Here was a thicket wherein we 
might hide both the canoe and ourselves 
if necessary. The canoe I hid at once, 
that being a matter of the more time. 
Then we both set ourselves to gathering 
dry sticks, for it seemed to me we might 
here risk the luxury of a fire, with a din- 
ner of roasted eggs. 

We had gathered but a handful or two, 
when I heard a crashing in the underbrush 
at the top of the cliff ; and in a second, 
catching Mizpah by the hand, I had 
dragged her into hiding. Through a 
screen of dark and drooping hemlock 
boughs we gazed intently at the top of 
the cliff, — and I noted, without thinking 
worth while to remedy my oversight, that 
I had forgotten to release Mizpah’s 
hand. 

The crashing noise, mingled with some 
sharp outcries of rage and fear, continued 
for several minutes. Then there was 
silence ; and I saw at the brink a pointed 
cap stuck full of feathers, and the glare of 
a black and yellow cloak. 

“ Grul ! I whispered, in astonishment ; 


GruFs Hour 


199 


and I felt an answering surprise in the 
tightened clasp of Mizpah’s hand. 

A moment more and Grul peered over 
the brink, scrutinizing the upper and lower 
reaches of the river. He held a coil of 
rope, one end of which he had made fast 
to a stout birch tree which leaned well out 
over the edge. 

“ What is he going to do ? ” murmured 
Mizpah, with wide eyes. 

We’ll soon see ! ” said I, marvelling 
mightily. 

The apparition vanished for some 
minutes, then suddenly reappeared close 
to the brink. He carried, as lightly as if 
it had been a bundle of straw, the body of 
a man, so bound about with many cords 
as to remind me of nothing so much as a fly 
in the death wrappings of some black and 
yellow spider. To add to the semblance, 
the victim was dressed in black, — and a 
closer scrutiny showed that he was a 
priest. 

‘Ht is the Black Abbe, none other,” I 
murmured, in a kind of awe; while Miz- 
pah shrank closer to my side with a 


200 


The Forge in the Forest 


sense of impending tragedies. “ Grul has 
come to his revenge ! ” I added. 

In a business fashion Grul knotted the 
end of his coil of rope about the prisoner’s 
body, the feathers and flowers in his cap, 
meanwhile, nodding with a kind of satis- 
fied rhythm. Then he lowered the swathed 
and helpless but silently writhing figure a 
little way from the brink, governing the 
rope with ease by means of a half-twist 
about a jutting stump. There was some- 
thing indescribably terrifying in the sight 
of the fettered form swinging over the 
deep, with shudderings and twistings, and 
the safe edge not a yard length above him. 
I pitied him in spite of myself ; and I put 
a hand over Mizpah’s eyes that she 
might not see what was coming. But she 
pushed my hand away, and stared in a 
fascination. 

For some moments Grul gazed down in 
silence upon his victim. 

I fancied I caught the soul-piercing 
flame of his mad eyes ; but this was 
doubtless due to my imagination rather 
than to the excellence of my vision. Slid- 











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GruFs Hour 


201 


denly the victim, his fortitude giving way 
with the sense of the deadly gulf beneath 
him, and with the pitiless inquisition of 
that gaze bent down upon him, broke out 
into wild pleadings, desperate entreaties, 
screams of anguished fear, till I myself 
trembled at it, and Mizpah covered her 
ears. ' 

‘‘ Oh, stop it ! save him ! ” she whis- 
pered to me, with white lips. But I shook 
my head. I could not reach the top of 
the cliff. And moreover, I had small 
doubt that GruFs vengeance was just. 
Nevertheless, had I been at the top of 
the cliff instead of the bottom, I had cer- 
tainly put a stop to it. 

After listening for some moments, with 
a sort of pleasant attention, to the victim’s 
ravings, Grul lay flat, thrust his head and 
shoulders far out over the brink, and 
reached down a long arm. I saw the gleam 
of a knife in his darting hand ; and I drew 
a quick breath of relief. 

“That ends it,” said I; and I shifted 
my position, which I had not done, as it 
seemed to me, for an eternity. The vie- 


202 


The Forge in the Forest 


tim’s screaming had ceased before the 
knife touched him. 

But I was vastly mistaken in thinking 
it the end. 

‘‘He has not killed him/' muttered 
Mizpah. 

And then I saw that Grul had merely 
cut the cord which bound his captive's 
hands. The Abbe was swiftly freeing 
himself ; and Grul, meanwhile, was lower- 
ing him down the face of the clilF. When 
the unhappy captive had descended per- 
haps twenty feet, his tormentor secured 
the rope, and again lay down with his head 
and shoulders leaning over the brink, his 
hands playing carelessly with the knife. 

The Abbe, with many awkward gest- 
ures, presently got his limbs free, and the 
cord which had enwound him fell trailing 
like a snake to the cliff foot. Then, 
with clawing hands and sprawling feet, he 
clutched at the smooth, inexorable rock, 
in the vain hope of getting a foothold. 
It was pitiful to see his mad struggles, 
and the quiet of the face above looking 
down upon them with unimpassioned 


GruFs Hour 


203 


interest; till at last, exhausted, the poor 
wretch ceased to struggle, and looked 
up at his persecutor with the silence of 
despair. 

Presently Grul spoke, — for the first 
time, as far as we knew. 

You know me. Monsieur TAbbe, I 
suppose,” he remarked, in tone of placid 
courtesy. 

I know you, Fran9ois de Grul,” came 
the reply, gasped from a dry mouth. 

“ Then further explanation, I think you 
will allow, is not needed. I will bid you 
farewell, and a pleasant journey,” went on 
the same civil modulations of GruFs voice. 
At the same moment he reached down with 
his shining blade as if to sever the rope. 

I did not do it ! I did not do it ! ” 
screamed the Abbe, once more clutching 
convulsively at the smooth rock. “ I 
swear to you by all the saints ! ” 

Grul examined the edge of his knife. 
He tested it with his thumb. I saw him 
glance along it critically. Then he touched 
it, ever so lightly, to the rope, so that a 
single strand parted. 


204 The Forge in the Forest 


“ Swear to me/’ he said, in the mildest 
voice, “swear to me, Monsieur I’Abbe, 
that you had no part in it. Swear by the 
Holy Ghost, Monsieur I’Abbe ! ” 

But the Abbe was silent. 

“ Swear me that oath now, good Abbe,” 
repeated the voice, with a kind of cour- 
teous insistence. 

“ I will not swear ! ” came the ghastly 
whisper in reply. 

At this an astonishing change passed 
over the face that peered down from the 
brink. Its sane tranquillity became a 
very paroxysm of rage. The grotesque 
cap was dashed aside, and Grul sprang to 
his feet, waving his arms, stamping and 
leaping, his gaudy cloak a-flutter, his long 
white hair and beard twisting as if with a 
sentient fury of their own. He was so 
close upon the brink that I held my breath, 
expecting him to be plunged headlong. 
But all at once the paroxysm died out as 
suddenly as it had begun ; and throwing 
himself down in his former position, Grul 
once more touched the knife edge to the 
rope, severing fibre by fibre, slowly, slowly. 


Grul’s Hour 


205 


With the first touch upon the rope rose 
the Abbe’s voice again, but no longer in 
vain entreaty and coward wailings. I lis- 
tened with a great awe, and a sob broke 
from Mizpah’s lips. It was the prayer 
for the passing soul. We heard it poured 
forth in steady tones but swift, against the 
blank face of the cliff. And we waited to 
see the rope divided at a stroke. 

But to our astonishment, Grul sprang 
to his feet again, in another fury, and 
flung aside his knife. With twitching 
hands he loosened the rope and began 
lowering his victim rapidly, till, within 
some twenty feet of the bottom, the Abbe 
found a footing, and stopped. Then 
Grul tossed the whole rope down upon 
him. 

Go ! ” he cried in his chanting, bell- 
like tones. “ The cup of your iniquity is 
not yet full. You shall not die till your 
soul is so black in every part that you will 
go down straight into hell ! ” And turn- 
ing abruptly, he vanished. 

The Black Abbe, as if seized with a 
faintness, leaned against the rock for some 


2o 6 The Forge in the Forest 

minutes. Then, freeing himself from the 
rope, he climbed down to the foot of the 
cliff, and moved off slowly by the water's 
edge toward Cobequid. We trembled lest 
he should see us, or the canoe, — I having 
no stomach for an attack upon one who 
had just gone through so dreadful a tor- 
ment. But his face, neck, ears, were like 
a sweating candle ; and his contracted eyes 
seemed scarce to see the ground before his 
feet. 

Seemed," I say. Yet even in this 
supreme moment, he tricked me. 


Chapter XVI 

I Cool My Adversaries' Courage 

W E now, having been so long delayed, 
gave up our purpose of a fire, and 
contented ourselves with the eggs raw. 
I also cut some very thin slices of the 
smoked and salted bacon, to eat with our 
black bread, for I knew that, working as 
we did, we needed strong food. But 
Mizpah would not touch the uncooked 
bacon, though its savour, I assured her, 
was excellent. We had but well begun 
our meal, and I was stooping over the 
hard loaf, when a startled exclamation 
from Mizpah made me look up. Close 
behind us stood Grul, impatiently twist- 
ing his little white rod with the scarlet 
head. His eyes were somewhat more 
piercing, more like blue flame, than ordi- 
narily, but otherwise he looked as usual. 
207 


2o8 The Forge in the Forest 


So little mark remained upon him of the 
scene just enacted. Both wise and mad ! 
I thought. 

It struck me that he was pleased with 
the impression he so plainly made on us 
both, and for a moment he looked upon 
us in silence. Then swiftly pointing his 
stick at us, he said sharply : — 

“ Fools ! Do you wait here ? But the 
hound is on the trail. Do you dream he 
did not see you ? ” 

Then he turned to go. But Mizpah 
was at his side instantly, catching him by 
the wrist, and imploring him to tell us 
which way her child had been carried. 

Grul stopped and looked down upon 
her with austere dignity, but without re- 
plying. Passionately Mizpah entreated 
him, not to be denied ; and at last, lightly 
but swiftly removing her fingers from his 
wrist, he muttered oracularly : — 

‘‘ They will take him to the sea that is 
within the heart of the land ! But go ! ” 
he repeated with energy, ‘‘ or you will not 
go far ! ” and with steps so smooth that 
they seemed not to touch the ground, he 


I Cool My Adversaries* Courage 209 

went past the cliff foot. His gaudy 
mantle shone for a moment, and he was 
gone. 

The ominous urgency of his warning 
rang in our ears, and we were not slow in 
making our own departure. 

‘‘What does he mean by ‘the sea that 
is within the heart of the land ’ ? ** asked 
Mizpah, as we hurriedly launched the 
canoe. 

“He means the Bras d*Or lakes,** I 
said, “those wonderful reaches of land- 
locked sea that traverse the heart of He 
Royale. It is a likely enough way for the 
savages to go. There are villages both 
of Acadians and of Indians on the island.** 

As we were to learn afterwards, how- 
ever, Grul had told us falsely. The child 
was not destined for He Royale. Whether 
the strange being really thought he was 
directing us aright, or, his vanity not per- 
mitting him to confess that he did not 
know, trusted to a guess with the hope 
that it might prove a prophecy, I have 
never been able to determine. As a 
matter of fact. Fate did presently so take 


210 


The Forge in the Forest 


our affairs into her own hands, that Gruhs 
misinformation affected the end not at all. 
But his warning and his exhortation to 
speed we had to thank for our escape from 
the perils that soon came upon us. Had 
we not been thus warned, without doubt 
we should have been taken unawares and 
perished miserably. 

On the incidents of our journey for the 
rest of that day, and up to something past 
noon of the day following, I need not 
particularly dwell. Suffice to say that we 
accomplished prodigious things, and that 
Mizpah showed incredible endurance. It 
was as if she saw her child ever a little 
way before her, and hoped to come up 
with him the next minute. When the 
stream became hopelessly shallow, we got 
out and waded, dragging the canoe. The 
long portage to the head of the Pictook 
waters we made in the night, the trail 
being a clear one, and not overly rough. 
At the further end of the carry, when I 
set down the canoe at the stream's edge, 
I could have dropped for weariness, yet 
from Mizpah I heard no complaint ; 


I Cool My Adversaries' Courage 21 1 


and her silent heroism stirred my soul to 
a deepening passion of worship. Over 
and over I told myself that night that I 
would never rest or count the cost till I 
had given the child back to her arms. 

Not till we had gone perhaps a mile 
down the Pictook did I order a halt, 
thrusting the canoe into a secure hid- 
ing-place. We snatched an hour of sleep, 
lying where we stepped ashore. Then, ris- 
ing in the redness of daybreak, we hurried 
on, eating as we journeyed. And now, 
conceiving that it was necessary to keep 
up her strength, Mizpah ate of the un- 
cooked bacon ; though she wore a face of 
great aversion as she did so. 

When, after hours of unmitigated toil, 
we reached the head of tide and the 
spacious open reaches of the lower river, 
I insisted on an hour of rest. Mizpah 
vowed that she was not exhausted, — but 
she slept instantly, falling by the side of 
the canoe as she stepped out. For my- 
self I durst not sleep, but I rested, and 
watched, and sucked an egg, and chewed 
strips of bacon. When we pushed off 


212 


The Forge in the Forest 


again I felt that we must have put a good 
space between us and our pursuers ; and 
as the ebb tide was helping me I made 
Mizpah go on sleeping, in her place in 
the bow. 

‘‘ I will need your help more by and 
by,'* said I when she protested, and 
then you must have all your strength to 
give me ! " 

The river soon became a wide estuary, 
with arms and indentations,- — a harbour 
fit to hold a hundred fleets. Straight 
down mid-channel I steered, the shortest 
course to the mouth. But by and by 
there sprang up a light head-wind, delay- 
ing me. 

‘‘ Wake up, comrade," I cried. “ I need 
your good arm now, against this breeze ! " 

She had slept there an hour, and she 
woke now with a childlike flush in her 
cheeks. 

‘‘How good of you to let me sleep so," 
she exclaimed, turning to give me a grate- 
ful glance. But the expression upon her 
face changed instantly to one of fear, and 
the colour all went out. 


I Cool My Adversaries’ Courage 213 


‘‘ Ohj look behind us!” she gasped. I 
had not indeed waited for her words. 
Glancing over my shoulder, I caught 
sight of a large canoe, with four savages 
paddling furiously. The one glimpse was 
enough. 

‘‘Now, comrade, work!” said I. “But 
steady! not too hard! This is a long 
chase, remember ! ” and I bent mightily 
to the paddle. 

Our pursuers were a good half-mile 
behind ; and had we not been already 
wearied, I believe we could have held 
our own with them all day. Our canoe 
was light and swift, Mizpah paddled 
rarely, and for myself, I have never yet 
been beaten, by red man or white, in a 
fair canoe-race. But as it was, I felt that 
we must win by stratagem, if the saints 
should so favour us as to let us win at all. 
Half a mile ahead, on our right, was a 
high point. Behind it, as I knew, was 
a winding estuary of several branches, 
each the debouchement of a small stream. 
It was an excellent place in which to evade 
pursuers. I steered for the high point. 


214 The Forge in the Forest 


As we darted behind its shelter, a back- 
ward glance told me that our enemies had 
not gained upon us. The moment we 
were hidden from their view I put across 
to the other side of the channel, ran the 
canoe behind a jutting boulder, and leapt 
out. Not till we were concealed, canoe 
and all, behind a safe screen of rocks and 
underbrush, did Mizpah ask my pur- 
pose, though she plainly marvelled that 
I should hide so close to the entrance. 

“ A poor and something public hiding- 
place is often the most secret,” said I. 
“ The Indians know that up this water 
there are a score of turns, and backwaters, 
and brook-mouths, wherein we might long 
evade them. As soon as they saw us turn 
in here, they doubtless concluded that the 
water was well known to me, and that I 
would hope to baffle them in the inner 
labyrinths and escape up one of the 
streams. They will never dream of us 
stopping here.” 

‘‘ I see ! ” she exclaimed eagerly. 
‘^When they have passed in to look for 
us, we will slip out, and push on.” It 


I Cool My Adversaries’ Courage 215 


was haste she thought of rather than 
escape. No moment passed, I think, 
when her whole will, her whole being, 
were not focussed upon the finding of 
the child. And the more I realized the 
intensity of her love and her pain, the 
more I marvelled at the heroic self- 
control which forbade her to waste her 
strength in tears and wailings. The 
conclusion at which she had now arrived, 
as to my plan, was one I had not thought 
of, and I considered it before replying. 

^^No,” said I, presently; “that is not 
quite my purpose, though I confess it 
is a good one. But, comrade, this is a 
safe ambush ! They must pass within 
close gunshot of us ! ” 

“ Oh,” she cried, paling, and clasping 
her hands, “ must there be more blood ? 
But yes, they bring it on themselves,” 
she went on with a sudden fierceness, 
flushing again, and her mouth growing 
cruel. “ They would keep us from find- 
ing him. Their blood be on their own 
heads ! ” 

“ I am glad you think of that,” said I. 


2i6 The Forge in the Forest 


“They would have no mercy for us if 
they should take us now. But indeed, 
if it will please you to have it so, we 
need not shoot them down. We can 
treat them to such a medicine as they 
had before of me, sink their canoe, and 
leave them like drowned rats on the other 
shore.” 

“ Yes,” said Mizpah, quietly ; “ if that 
will do as well, it will please me much bet- 
ter.” 

And so it was agreed. A very few 
minutes later the canoe appeared, round- 
ing into the estuary. The savages scanned 
both shores minutely, but rather from the 
habit of caution than from any thought 
that we might have gone to land. If, 
however, I had not taken care to make 
my landing behind a boulder, those keen 
eyes would have marked some splashed 
spots on the shingle, and we would have 
been discovered. 

But no such evil fortune came about. 
The four paddles flashed onward swiftly. 
The four fierce, painted and feathered 
heads thrust forward angrily, expecting to 


I Cool My Adversaries' Courage 217 


overtake us in one of the inner reaches. 
I took up Mizpah's musket (which was 
loaded with slugs, while my own carried 
a bullet, in case I should be called upon 
for a long and delicate shot), and waited 
until the canoe was just a little more 
than abreast of us. Then, aiming at 
the waterline, just in front of the bow 
paddle, I fired. 

The effect was instant and complete. 
The savage in -the bow threw up his 
paddle with a scream and sprang over- 
board. He was doubtless wounded, and 
feared a second shot. We saw him swim- 
ming lustily toward the opposite shore. 
The others paddled desperately in the 
same direction, but before they had gone 
half-way the canoe was so deep in the 
water that she moved like a log. Then 
they, too, seized with the fear of a second 
shot, sprang overboard. By this time I 
had the musket reloaded. 

“If they get the canoe ashore, with 
their weapons aboard her," said I, “they 
will soon get her patched up, and we will 
have it all to do over again. Here goes 


2i8 


The Forge in the Forest 


for another try, whatever heads may be 
in the way ! 

Mizpah averted her face, but made 
no protest, and I fired at the stern of the 
canoe, which was directly toward me. A 
swimmer’s head, close by, went down ; and 
in a minute more the canoe did likewise. 
Three feathered heads remained in sight ; 
and presently three dark figures dragged 
themselves ashore — one of them limping 
badly — and plunged into the woods. 

Without canoe or guns,” said I, 
“ they are fairly harmless for a while.” 
But Mizpah, as we re-embarked and 
headed again for the sea, said nothing. 
I think that in her bosom, at this time, 
womanly compassion was striving, and at 
some disadvantage, with the vindictive- 
ness of outraged motherhood. I think 
— and I loved her the better for it — 
she was glad I had killed one more of 
her child’s enemies ; but I think, too, 
she was filled with shame at her gladness. 


Chapter XVII 

A Night in the Deep 

O NCE fairly out again into the har- 
bour, I saw two things that were 
but little to my satisfaction. Far away up 
the river were three more canoes. I un- 
derstood at once that the savages whom 
we had just worsted were the mere van- 
guard of the Black Abbe’s attack. The 
new-comers, however, were so far behind 
that I had excellent hopes of eluding 
them. The second matter that gave me 
concern was the strong head-wind that 
had suddenly arisen. The look of the 
sky seemed to promise, moreover, that 
what was now a mere blow might soon 
become a gale. It was already kicking 
up a sea that hindered us. Most women 
would have been terrified at it, but Miz- 
pah seemed to have no thought of fear. 

219 


220 


The Forge in the Forest 


We pressed on doggedly. There was 
danger ahead, I knew, — a very serious 
danger, which would tax all my skill to 
overcome. But the danger behind us was 
the more menacing. I felt that there was 
nothing for it but to face the storm and 
force a passage around the cape. This 
accomplished, — if we could accomplish 
it, — I knew our pursuers would not dare 
to follow. 

About sundown, though the enemy had 
drawn perceptibly nearer, I concluded that 
we must rest and gather our strength. I 
therefore ran in behind a little headland, 
the last shelter we could hope for until we 
should get around the cape. There we 
ate a hearty meal, drank from a tiny 
spring, and lay stretched flat on the shore 
for a quarter of an hour. Then, after 
an apprehensive look at the angry sea, 
and a prayer that was earnest enough to 
make up for some scantness in length, I 
cried : — 

“ Come now, comrade, and be brave.” 

“ I am not afraid. Monsieur,” she an- 
swered quietly. ‘Mf anything happens, I 


A Night in the Deep 


221 


know it will not be because you have 
failed in anything that the bravest and 
truest of men could hope to do.” 

‘‘I think that God will help us,” said I. 
That some one greater than ourselves 
does sometimes help us in such perils, I 
know, whatever certain hasty men who 
speak out of a plentiful lack of experience 
may declare to the contrary. But whether 
this help be a direct intervention of God 
himself, or the succour of the blessed saints, 
or the watchful care of one's guardian 
spirit, I have never been able to conclude 
to my own satisfaction. And very much 
thought have I given to the matter by 
times, lying out much under the stars 
night after night, and carrying day by day 
my life in my hands. However it might 
be, I felt sustained and comforted as we put 
out that night. The storm was now so 
wild that it would have been perilous to 
face in broad daylight and with a strong 
man at the bow paddle. Yet I believed 
that we should win through. I felt 
that my strength, my skill, my sureness 
of judgment, were of a sudden made 


222 The Forge in the Forest 

greater than I could commonly account 
them. 

But whatever strength may have been 
graciously vouchsafed to me that night, 
I found that I needed it all. The night 
fell not darkly, but with a clear sky, and 
the light of stars, and a diffused glimmer 
from the white crests of the waves. The 
gale blew right on shore, and the huge 
roar of the surf thundering in our ears 
seemed presently to blunt our sense of 
peril. The great waves now hung above 
us, white-crested and hissing, till one 
would have said we were in the very pit of 
doom. A moment more, and the light 
craft would seem to soar upward as the 
wave slipped under it, a wrenching turn of 
my wrist would drive her on a slant 
through the curling top of foam, and then 
we would slide swiftly into the pit again, 
down a steep slope of purplish blackness 
all alive with fleeting eyes of white light. 
The strain upon my wrist, the mighty 
eflbrt required at each wave lest we should 
broach to and be rolled over, were some- 
thing that I had never dreamed to endure. 


A Night in the Deep 


223 


Yet I did endure it. And as for the brave 
woman in the bow, she simply paddled on, 
steadily, strongly, without violence, so that 
I learned to depend on her for just so much 
force at each swift following crisis. For 
there was a new crisis every moment, — 
with a moment’s grace as we slipped into 
each succeeding pit. At last we found 
ourselves off the cape, — and then well 
out into the open Strait, yet not engulfed. 
A little, — just as much as I durst, and 
that was very little, — I shifted our course 
toward south. This brought a yet heavier 
strain upon my wrist, but there was no 
help for it if we would hope to get beyond 
the cape. How long we were I know 
not. I lost the sense of time. I had no 
faculty left save those that were in service 
now to battle back destruction. But at 
last I came to realize that we were well 
clear of the cape, that the sound of the 
breakers had dwindled, and that the time 
had come to turn. To turn ? Ay, but 
could it be done ? 

It could but be tried. To go on thus 
much longer was, I knew, impossible. 


224 "The Forge in the Forest 


My strength would certainly fail by 
and by. 

“ Comrade,” said I, — and my voice 
sounded strange, as if long unused, — 
“ keep paddling steadily as you are, but 
the moment I say ‘change,’ paddle hard 
on the other side.” 

“ Yes, Monsieur ! ” she answered as 
quietly as if we had been walking in a 
garden. 

I watched the approach of one of those 
great waves which would, as I knew, have 
as vast a fellow to follow upon it. As 
soon as we were well over the crest I began 
to turn. 

“Change!” I shouted. And Mizpah’s 
paddle flashed to the other side. Down 
we slanted into the pit. We lay at the 
bottom for a second, broadside on, — then 
we got the little craft fairly about as she 
rose. A second more, and the wind caught 
us, and completed the turn, — and the 
next crest was fairly at my back. I drew 
a huge breath, praising God and St. 
Joseph ; and we ran in toward the hollow 
of the land before us. That part of the 


A Night in the Deep 


225 


coast was strange to me, save as seen 
when passing by ship ; but I trusted 
there would be some estuary or some 
winding, within which we might safely 
come to land. 

The strain was now different, and there- 
fore my nerves and muscles felt a tem- 
porary relief ; but it was still tremendous. 
There was still the imminent danger of 
broaching to as each wave-crest seized and 
twisted the frail craft. But having the 
wind behind me, I had of course more 
steerage way ; and therefore a more instant 
and effective control. We ran on straight 
before the wind, but a few points off ; and 
with desperate anxiety I peered ahead for 
some hint of shelter on that wild lee 
shore. Mizpah, of course, knew the 
unspeakable strain of wielding the stern 
paddle in such a sea. 

“Are you made of steel. Monsieur?” 
she presently asked. “ I can hardly be- 
lieve it possible that the strength of human 
sinews should endure so long.” 

“ Mine, alas, will not endure much 
longer, comrade,” said I. 


226 The Forge in the Forest 


“ And what then ? ” she asked, in a 
steady voice. 

“ I do not know,” said I ; but there is 
hope. I think we have not been brought 
through all this for nothing.” 

The roar of the breakers grew louder 
and louder again, as we gradually neared 
the high coast which seemed to slip swiftly 
past on our right hand. It was black and 
appalling, serried along the crest with tops 
of fir trees, white along the base with the 
great gnashing of the breakers. As we 
ran into the head of the bay, with yet no 
sign of a shelter, the seas got more peril- 
ous, being crowded together and broken 
so that I could not calculate upon them. 
Soon they became a mad smother ; and I 
knew my strength for this bout had but 
little longer to last. 

‘‘ The end ! ” said I ; but we may win 
through ! I will catch you when the crash 
comes.” And some blind prayer, I know 
not what, kept repeating and repeating in 
the inward silence of my soul. New 
strength seemed then to flow upon nerve 
and sinew, — and I descried, almost ahead 


A Night in the Deep 227 

of us, a space of smooth and sloping beach 
up which the seas rushed without rock to 
shatter them. 

“ This is our chance,” I shouted. A 
wave came, smoother and more whole 
than most, and paddling desperately I 
kept awhile upon the crest of it. Then 
like a flash it curled thinly, rolled the 
canoe over, and hurled us far up on the 
beach. Half blinded, half stunned, and 
altogether choking, I yet kept my wits ; 
and catching Mizpah by the arm, I 
dragged her violently forward beyond 
reach of the next wave. Dropping her 
without a word, I turned back, and was 
just in time to catch the rolling canoe. 
It, too, I succeeded in dragging to a place 
of safety ; but it was so shattered and 
crushed as to be useless. The muskets, 
however, were in it ; for I had taken care 
to lash them under the bars before leav- 
ing the shelter of the inlet. 

The remnants of the canoe I hauled far 
up on the beach, and then I returned to 
Mizpah, who lay in utter exhaustion just 
where I had dropped her, so close to the 


228 


The Forge in the Forest 


water’s edge that she was splashed by the 
spray of every wave. 

“ Come, comrade,” I said, lifting her 
gently. ‘^The saints have indeed been 
kind to us.” But she made no reply. 
Leaning heavily upon me, and moving as 
if in a dream, she let me lead her to the 
edge of the wood, where the herbage be- 
gan behind a sort of windrow of rocks. 
There, seeing that the rocks shut off the 
wind, I released her, and dropping on the 
spot, she went at once to sleep. Then I 
felt myself suddenly as weak as a baby. 
I had no more care for anything save to 
sleep. I tried to pluck a bunch of herbage 
to put under Mizpah’s head for a pillow; 
but even as I stooped to gather it, I for- 
got where I was, and the tide of dreams 
flowed over me. 


Chapter XVIII 

The Osprey, of Plymouth 

I T must have been a good two hours 
that I slept. I woke with a start, with 
a sense of some duty left undone. I was 
in an awkward position, half on my side 
amid stones and underbrush, my arms 
clasping the bundle of herbage which I 
had meant for Mizpah’s pillow. The 
daylight was fairly established, blue and 
cold, though the sun was not yet visible. 
The gale hummed shrilly as ever, the 
huge waves thundered on the trembling 
beach, and all seaward was such a white and 
purple hell of raving waters that I shud- 
dered at the sight of it. Mizpah was 
still sleeping. As I looked at her the de- 
sire for sleep came over me again with 
deadly strength, but I resisted it, rushing 
down to the edge of the surf, and facing a 


229 


230 The Forge in the Forest 


chill buffet of driven spume. I took an- 
other glance at the canoe. It was past 
mending. The two muskets were there, 
but everything else was gone, washed away, 
or ground upon the rocks. After much 
searching, however, to my delight I found 
a battered roll of bacon wedged into a 
cleft. Pouncing upon this, I bore it in 
triumph to Mizpah. 

“Wake up, comrade,*' I cried, shak- 
ing her softly. “We must be getting 
away." 

The poor girl roused herself with diffi- 
culty, and sat up. When she tried to 
stand, she toppled over, and would have 
fallen if I had not caught her by the 
arms. It was some minutes before she 
could control the stiffness of her limbs. 
At last the whipping of the wind some- 
what revived her, and sitting down upon 
a rock she looked about with a face of 
hopeless misery. 

“ Eat a little,” said I, gently, “ for we 
must get away from here at once, lest 
our enemies come over the hills to look 
for us.” 


The Osprey, of Plymouth 231 


But she pushed aside the untempting, 
sodden food which I held out to her. 

“ Whither shall we go ? ” she asked 
heavily. ‘‘The canoe is wrecked. How 
can we find my boy ? Oh, I wish I 
could die ! ” 

Poor girl ! my heart ached for her. I 
knew how her utter and terrible exhaus- 
tion had at last sapped that marvellous 
courage of hers ; but I felt that roughness 
would be her best tonic, though it was far 
indeed from my heart to speak to her 
roughly. 

“ Shame ! ” said I, in a voice of stern 
rebuke. “ Have you struggled and en- 
dured so long, to give up now ? Will 
you leave Philip to the savages because 
a canoe is broken ^ Where is your 
boasted courage ? Why, we will walk, 
instead of paddling. Come at once.’' 

Even this rebuke but half aroused her. 
“Pm so thirsty,” she said, looking around 
with heavy eyes. By good Providence, 
there was a slender stream trickling in at 
this point, and I led her to it. While 
she drank and bathed her face, I grubbed 


2J2 The Forge in the Forest 

in the long grasses growing beside the 
stream, and found a handful of those 
tuberous roots which the Indians call 
ground-nuts. These I made her eat, 
after which she was able to endure a little 
of the salt bacon. Presently, she became 
more like herself, and began to grieve at 
the weakness which she had just shown. 
Her humiliation was so deep that I had 
much ado to comfort her, telling her again 
and again that she was not responsible 
for what she had said when she was yet 
but half awake, and in the bonds of a 
weariness which would have killed most 
women. I told her, which was nothing 
less than true, that I held her for the 
bravest of women, and that no man could 
have supported me better than she had 
done. 

We pushed our way straight over the 
height of land which runs seaward and 
ends in Cape Merigomish. Our way lay 
through a steep but pleasant woodland, 
and by the time the sun was an hour high 
we had walked off much of our fatigue. 
The tree tops rocked and creaked high 


The Osprey, of Plymouth 233 


above us, but where we walked the wind 
troubled us not. 

“ Where are we going ? '' asked Miz- 
pah, by and by — somewhat tremulously 
for she still had in mind my censure. 

Why, comrade,’' said I, in a cheerful, 
careless manner of speech, a thousand 
miles away from the devotion in my 
heart, — “ my purpose is to push straight 
along the coast to Canseau. There we will 
find a few of your country-folk, fishermen 
mostly, and from them we will get a boat 
to carry us up the Bras d’Or.” 

But what will become of Philip, all this 
time ? ” she questioned, with haggard eyes. 

‘‘As a matter of fact,” I answered, 
“ I don’t think we will lose much time, 
after all. If we still had the canoe, we 
would be storm-bound in the bay back 
there till the wind changes or subsides 
— and it may be days before it does 
the one or the other. As it is, the worst 
that has befallen us is the loss of our 
ammunition and our bread. But we will 
make shift to live, belike, till we reach 
Canseau.” 


234 The Forge in the Forest 

Oh, Monsieur,” she cried, in answer, 
with a great emotion in her voice, ^^you 
give me hope when my despair is black- 
est. You seem to me more generous, 
more brave, more strong, than I had 
dreamed the greatest could be. What 
makes you so good to an unhappy 
mother, so faithfully devoted to a poor 
baby whom you have never seen ^ ” 

“ Tut, tut ! ” said I, roughly ; I but 
do as any proper minded man would do 
that had the right skill and the fitting 
opportunity. Thank Marc ! ” But I 
might have told her more if I had let 
my heart speak truth. 

I know whom to thank, and all my 
life long will I pray Heaven to bless that 
one ! ” said Mizpah. 

Thus talking by the way, but most of 
the way silent, we came at length over 
Merigomish and down to the sea again, 
fetching the shore at the head of a second 
bay. This was all in a smother and a 
roar, like that we had just left behind. 
As we rounded the head of it, we came 
upon a little sheltered creek, and there. 


The Osprey, of Plymouth 235 


safe out of the gale, lay a small New Eng- 
land fishing schooner. I knew her by the 
build for a New Englander, before I saw 
the words Osprey, Plymouth, painted in 
red letters on her stern. 

Here is fortune indeed ! said I, 
while a cry of gladness sprang to Miz- 
pah’s lips. “ ril charter the craft to take 
us up the Bras d’Or.” 

The little ship lay in a very pleasant 
idleness. The small haven was full of 
sun, the green, wooded hills sloping softly 
down about it and shutting off all winds. 
The water heaved and rocked ; but 
smoothly, stirred by the yeasty tumult 
that roared past the narrow entrance. 
The clamour of the surf outside made the 
calm within the more excellent. 

Several gray figures of the crew lay 
sprawling about the deck, which we could 
see very well, by reason of the steepness 
of the shore on which we stood. In the 
waist was a gaunt, brown-faced man, with 
a scant, reddish beard, a nose astonishingly 
long and sharp, and a blue woollen cap on 
the back of his head. He stood leaning 


236 The Forge in the Forest 


upon the rail watching us, and spitting 
contemplatively into the water from time 
to time. 

We climbed down to the beach beside 
the schooner, and I spoke to the man in 
English. 

“ Are you the captain ? ” I asked 
civilly. 

They do say I be,” he answered in a 
thin, high, sing-song of a voice. ‘‘ Captain 
Ezra Bean, Schooner Osprey^ of Plymouth, 
at your sarvice.” And he waved his hand 
with a spacious air. 

I bowed with ceremony. ‘^And I am 
your very humble servant,” said I, the 
Sieur de Briart, of Canard by Grand Pre. 
We were on our way to Canseau, but have 
lost Qur canoe and stores in the gale. We 
are bold to hope. Captain, that you will 
sell us some bread, as also some powder 
and bullets. We did not lose our little 
money. Heaven be praised ! ” 

Knowing these New Englanders to be 
greedy of gain, but highly honest, I made 
no scruple of admitting that we had money 
about us. 


The Osprey, of Plymouth 237 


“ Come right aboard, good sirs ! ” said 
the captain ; and in half a minute the gig, 
which floated at the stern, was thrust 
around to us, and we clambered to the 
deck of the Osprey^ where crew and cap- 
tain, five in all, gathered about us without 
ceremony. The captain, I could see at 
once, was just one of themselves, obeyed 
when he gave orders, but standing in no 
sort of formal aloofness. Cold salt beef, 
and biscuit and cheese, and tea, were soon 
set before us, and as we made a hasty 
meal they all hung about us and talked, 
as if we had been in one of their home 
kitchens on Massachusetts Bay. As for 
Mizpah, who felt little at ease in playing 
her man’s part, she spoke only in French, 
and made as if she knew no word of Eng- 
lish. Captain Ezra Bean had some French, 
but no facility in it, and a pronunciation 
that was beyond measure execrable. 

But at last, being convinced that they 
were honest fellows, I spoke of chartering 
the Osprey^ and in explanation told the 
main part of our story, representing Miz- 
pah as a youth of Canard. But, alas, I 


238 The Forge in the Forest 


had not read my men aright. Honest 
they were, and exceeding eager to turn 
an honest penny, — but they had not the 
stomach for fighting. When they found 
that a war party of Micmacs was in chase 
of us, they fell into a great consternation, 
and insisted on our instant departure. 

At this I was all taken aback, for I had 
ever found the men of New England as 
diligent in war as in trade. But these 
fellows were in a shaking terror for their 
lives and for their ship. 

“ Why, gentlemen,'' I said, in a heat, 
“ here are seven of us, well armed ! We 
will make short work of the red rascals, if 
they are so foolhardy as to attack us." 

But no ! They would hear none of it. 

It's no quarrel of mine ! " cried Captain 
Ezra Bean, in his high sing-song, but in a 
great hurry. “ My dooty's to my ship. 
There's been many of our craft fell afoul 
of these here savages, and come to grief. 
We're fast right here till the wind changes, 
and we'll just speak the redskins fair if 
they come nigh us, an' there ain't goin' to 
be no trouble. But you must go your 


The Osprey, of Plymouth 239 


ways, gentlemen, begging your pardon ; 
and no ill will, I hope ! ” And the boat 
being hauled around for us, they all made 
haste to bid us farewell. 

Mizpah, with a flushed face, stepped in 
at once ; but I hung back a little, sick with 
their cowardly folly. 

“ At least,’' said I, angrily, “ you must 
sell me a sack of bread, and some powder 
and ball. Till I get them I swear I will 
not go.” 

Sartinly ! ” sing-songed the captain ; 
and in a twinkling the supplies were in 
the boat. Now go, and God speed 

I 

ye ! 

I slipped a piece of gold into his hand, 
and was off. But frightened as he was, 
he was honest, and in half a minute he 
called me back. 

Here is your silver,” came the queer, 
high voice over the rail. ‘‘You have 
overpaid me three times,” and I saw his 
long arm reaching out to me. 

“ Keep it,” I snapped. “We are in more 
haste to be gone than you to get rid of 


240 The Forge in the Forest 


In five minutes more the woods en- 
folded us, and the little Osprey was hid 
from our view. I walked violently in 
my wrathful disappointment, till at last 
Mizpah checked me. If the good sol- 
dier,” said she, might advise his captain, 
which would be, of course, intolerable, I 
would dare to remind you of what you 
have said to me more than once lately. 
Is not this pace too hot to last. Mon- 
sieur ? ” And stopping, she leaned heav- 
ily on her musket. 

Forgive me,” I exclaimed, flinging 
myself down on the moss. “And what 
a fool I am to be angry, too, just because 
those poor bumpkins wouldn’t take up 
our quarrel.” 

The look of gratitude which Mizpah 
gave me for that little phrase, “ our quar- 
rel,” made my heart on a sudden strong 
and light. Presently we resumed our 
journey, going moderately, and keeping 
enough inland to avoid the windings of 
the coast. The little Osprey we never saw 
again; but months later, when it came to 
my ears that a fishing vessel of Plymouth 


The Osprey, of Plymouth 241 


had been taken by the Indians that au- 
tumn while storm-stayed at Merigomish, 
and her crew all slain, I felt a qualm of 
pity for the poor lads whose selfish fears 
had so misguided them. 


Chapter XIX 

The Camp by Canseau Strait 

I T was perhaps to their encounter with 
the Osprey we owed it that we saw no 
more of our pursuers. At any rate we 
were no further persecuted. After two 
days of marching we felt safe to light fires. 

We shot partridges, and a deer ; and 
the fresh meat put new vigour into our 
veins. We came to the beginning of the 
narrow strait which severs He Royale from 
the main peninsula of Acadie ; and with 
longing eyes Mizpah gazed across, as if 
hoping to discern the child amid the trees 
of the opposite shore. At last, I could 
but say to her : — 

We are a long, long way from Philip 
yet, my comrade ; were we across this 
narrow strait, we would be no nearer to 
him, for the island is so cut up with inland 
242 


The Camp by Canseau Strait 243 


waters, many, deep, and winding, that it 
would take us months to traverse its length 
afoot. We must push on to Canseau, for 
a boat is needful to us.’’ 

And all these days, in the quiet of the 
great woods, in the stillness of the wilder- 
ness nights when often I watched her 
sleeping, in the hours while she walked 
patiently by my side, her brave, sweet face 
wan with grief suppressed, her eyes heavy 
with longing, my love grew. It took 
possession of my whole being till this 
doubtful, perilous journey seemed all that 
I could desire, and the world we had left 
behind us became but a blur with only 
Marc’s white face in the midst to give it 
consequence. Nevertheless, though my 
eyes and my spirit waited upon all her 
movements, I suffered no least suggestion 
of my worship to appear, but ever with 
rough kindliness played the part of com- 
panion-at-arms. 

One morning, — it was our fifth day 
from the Osprey^ but since reaching the 
Strait we had become involved in swamps, 
and made a very pitifully small advance. 


244 "The Forge in the Forest 


— one morning, I say, when it wanted per- 
haps an hour of noon, we were both startled 
by a sound of groaning. Mizpah came 
closer to me, and put her hand upon my 
arm. We stood listening intently. 

“ It is some one hurt,’' said I, in a mo- 
ment, “ and he is in that gully yonder.” 

Cautiously, lest there should be some 
trap, we followed the sound ; and we dis- 
covered, at the bottom of a narrow cleft, 
an Indian lad lying wedged between sharp 
rocks, with the carcass of a fat buck fallen 
across his body. It was plain to me at 
once that the young savage had slipped 
while staggering under his load of venison. 

I hesitated ; for what more likely than 
that there should be other Indians in 
the neighbourhood ; but Mizpah cried at 
once : — 

Oh, we must help him ! Quick ! Come, 
Monsieur ! ” 

And in truth the lad’s face appealed 
to me, for he was but a stripling, little 
younger than Marc. Very gently we re- 
leased him from his agonizing position ; 
and when we had laid him on a patch 


The Camp by Canseau Strait 245 


of smooth moss, his groaning ceased. His 
lips were parched, and when I brought 
him water he swallowed it desperately. 
Then Mizpah bathed his face. Pres- 
ently his eyes opened, rested upon her 
with a look of unutterable gratitude, and 
closed again. Mizpah’s own eyes were 
brimming with tears, and she turned to 
me in a sort of appeal, as if she would 
say : — 

How can we leave him ? 

“ Let him be for a half hour now,” 
said I, answering her look. ‘‘Then per- 
haps he will be able to talk to us.” 

We ate our meal without daring to 
light a fire. Then we sat in silence by 
the sleeping lad, till at last he opened 
his eyes, and murmured in the Micmac 
tongue, “water.” When he had taken 
a drink, I offered him biscuit, of which 
he ate a morsel. Then, speaking in 
French, I asked him whence he came ; 
and how he came to be in such a plight. 

He answered faintly in the same tongue. 
“ I go from Malpic,” said he, “ to the Shu- 
benacadie, with messages. I shot a buck. 


246 The Forge in the Forest 


on the rock there, and he fell into the 
gully. As I was getting him out I fell 
in myself, and the carcass on top of me. 
I know no more till I open my eyes, and 
my mouth is hard, and kind friends are 
giving me water. Then I sleep again, for 
I feel all safe,” and with a grateful smile 
his eyes closed wearily. He was fast 
asleep again, before I could ask any more 
questions. 

‘‘ Come away,” I whispered to Mizpah, 
till we talk about this.” She came, but 
first, with a tender thoughtfulness, she 
leaned her musket against a tree, with his 
own beside it, so that if he should wake 
while we were gone he should at once see 
the two weapons, and know that he was 
not deserted. 

When we were out of earshot, I turned 
and looked into her eyes. 

“ What is to be done with him ^ ” I 
asked. 

“We must stay and take care of him,” 
said she, steadily, “ till he can take care of 
himself.” 

“ And Philip ? ” I questioned. 


The Camp by Canseau Strait 247 


She burst into tears, flung herself down, 
and buried her face in her hands. After 
sobbing violently for some minutes she 
grew calm, dashed her tears away, and 
looked at me in a kind of despair. 

“ The poor boy cannot be left to die 
here alone,” she said, in a shaken voice. 
‘‘ It is perfectly plain what we must do. 
Oh, God, take care of my poor lonely 
little one.” And again she covered her 
eyes. I took one of her hands in mine, 
and pressed it firmly. 

If there is justice in Heaven, he 
will,” I cried passionately. ‘‘ And he 
will ; I know he will. I think there 
never was a nobler woman than you, my 
comrade.” 

‘‘ You do not know me,” she answered, 
in a low voice ; and rising, she returned 
to the sick boy's side. 

Seeing that we were here for some days, 
or perchance a week, I raised two hasty 
shelters of brush and poles. That night 
the patient wandered in his mind, but in 
the morning the fever had left him, and 
thenceforward he mended swiftly. His 


248 The Forge in the Forest 


gratitude and his docility were touching, 
and his eyes followed Mizpah as would 
the eyes of a faithful dog. I think his 
insight penetrated her disguise, so that 
from the first he knew her for a woman ; 
but his native delicacy kept him from be- 
traying his knowledge. As far as I could 
see, there were no bones broken, and I 
guessed that in a week at furthest he 
would be able to resume his journey with- 
out risk. 

For three days I troubled him not with 
further questions, Mizpah having so de- 
creed. She said that questioning would 
hinder his recovery ; but I think she 
feared what questioning might disclose. 
At last, as we finished supper, of which 
he had well partaken, he rose feebly but 
with determination, took a few tottering 
paces, and then came back to his couch, 
where he lay with gleaming eyes of satis- 
faction. 

‘‘ I walk now pretty soon,'' said he. 
“ Not keep kind friends here much 
longer. Which way you going when you 
stopped to take care of Indian boy?" 


The Camp by Canseau Strait 249 


I looked across at Mizpah, then made 
up my mind to speak plainly. If I knew 
anything at all of human nature, this boy 
was to be trusted. 

“We are going to He Royale/’ said I, 
“ to look for a little boy whom some of 
your tribe have cruelly carried off.*' 

His face became the very picture of 
shame and grief. He looked first at 
one of us, then the other ; and presently 
dropped his head upon his breast. 

“ Why, what is the matter, Xavier ? ” I 
asked. He had said his name was Xavier. 

“ I know,” he answered, in a low voice. 
“ It was some of my own people did it.” 

^^JVhat do you know? Tell us, oh, 
tell us everything ! Oh, we helped you ! 
You will surely help us find him ! ” 
pleaded Mizpah, breathlessly. 

“ By all the blessed saints,” he cried, 
with an earnestness that I felt to be sin- 
cere, “ I will try to help you. I will risk 
anything. I will disobey the Abbe. I 
will — ” 

“ Where is the child ? Do you know 
that ? ” I interrupted. 


250 The Forge in the Forest 


Yes, truly,” he replied. They have 
taken him north to Gaspe, and to the 
St. Lawrence. My uncle, Etienne le 
Batard, was in canoe that brought him 
to mouth of the Pictook. Then other 
canoe took him north, where a French 
family will keep him. The Abbe says 
he shall grow up a monk. But he is 
not starved or beaten, I swear truly.” 

ow do you know all this ? ” I asked, 
looking at him piercingly. But his eye 
was clear and met mine right honestly. 

“ My uncle came to Malpic straight,” 
said he, “ where the warriors had a council. 
Then I was sent with word to my father. 
Big Etienne, who is on the Shubenacadie.” 

“ What word ? ” I asked. 

But the boy shook his head. ‘‘It does 
not touch the little boy. It does not 
touch my kind friends. I may not tell 
it,” he said, with a brave dignity. I loved 
him for this, and trusted him the more. 

“ This lad’s tongue and heart are true,” 
said I, looking at Mizpah. “ We may 
trust him.” 

“ I know it ! ” said she. Whereupon 


The Camp by Canseau Strait 251 


he reached out, grasped a hand of each, 
and kissed them with a freedom of emo- 
tion which I have seldom seen in the full 
blood Indian. 

‘‘You may trust me,*' he said, in a low 
voice, being by this something wearied. 
“You give me my life. And I will help 
you find your child.'* 

And the manner of his speech, as if he 
considered the child our child, though it 
was but accident, stirred me sweetly at the 
heart, — and I durst not trust myself to 
meet Mizpah's eyes. 

Thus it came about that, after all, we 
crossed not the narrow strait, nor set foot 
in He Royale. But when, three days later, 
I judged our patient sufficiently recov- 
ered, we set our faces again toward the 
Shubenacadie. 

The journey was exceeding slow, but to 
me very far from tedious, for in rain or 
shine, or dark or bright, the light shone 
on me of my mistress's face. 

And at last, after many days of toilsome 
wandering, we struck the head waters of 
the Shubenacadie. 


252 The Forge in the Forest 


From this point forward we went with 
more caution. When we were come within 
an hour of the Indian village, Xavier 
parted company with us. The river here 
making a long loop, so to speak, we were 
to cross behind the village at a safe dis- 
tance, strike the tide again, and hide at a 
certain point covered with willows till 
Xavier should bring us a canoe. 

We reached the point, hid ourselves 
among the willows, and waited close upon 
two hours. The shadows were falling long 
across the river, and our anxieties rising 
with more than proportioned speed, when, 
at last, a canoe shot around a bend of the 
river, and made swiftly for the point. We 
saw Xavier in the bow, but there was a 
tall, powerful warrior in the stern. As 
the canoe drew near, Mizpah caught me 
anxiously by the arm. 

‘‘That man was one of the band that 
captured us at Annapolis,” she whispered. 
“ What does it mean ? Could Xavier mean 
to — ? ” 

“No,” I interrupted; “of course not, 
comrade. These Indians are never treach- 


The Camp by Canseau Strait 253 


crous to those who have earned their grat- 
itude. Savages though they be, they set 
civilization a shining example in that. 
There is nothing to fear here.” 

Landing just below us, the two Indians 
came straight toward our hiding-place. 
At the edge of the wood the tall warrior, 
whom I now knew for a certainty to be 
Big Etienne himself, stopped, and held 
out both his hands, palm upwards. I at 
once stepped forth to meet him, leaving 
my musket behind me. But Mizpah 
who followed me closely, clung to hers, — 
which might have convinced me, had I 
needed conviction, that hero though she 
was she was yet all woman. 

You my brother and my sister ! ” said 
the tall warrior at once, speaking with dig- 
nity, but with little of Xavier's fluency. 
He knew Mizpah. 

1 am glad my brother's heart is turned 
towards us at last,'' said I. ‘‘ My brother 
knows what injury has been done to us, 
and what we suflFer at the hands of his 
people.'' 

‘‘ Listen,'' said he, solemnly. “ You 


254 The Forge in the Forest 


give me back my son, my only son, my 
young brave,'’ and he looked at Xavier 
with loving pride ; for that I can never 
pay you ; but I give you back your son, 
too, see ? And, now, always, I am your 
brother. But now, you go home. I find 
the child away north, by the Great River. 
I put him in your arms, safe, laughing, 
— so ; ” and he made as if to place a little 
one in Mizpah’s arms. ‘‘Then you be- 
lieve I love you, and Xavier love you. 
But now, come ; not good to stay here 
more.” And, turning abruptly, he led 
the way to the canoe, and himself taking 
the stern paddle, while Xavier took the 
bow, motioned us to get in. I hesitated ; 
whereupon he cried : — 

“ Many of our people out this way. 
River not safe for you now. We take you 
to Grand Pre, Canard, Pereau, — where 
you want. Then go north. Better so.” 

Seeing the strong reason in his words, I 
accepted his offer thankfully, but insisted 
upon taking the bow myself, because 
Xavier was not yet well enough to paddle 
strongly. 


The Camp by Canseau Strait 255 

Thus we set out, going swiftly with the 
tide. As we journeyed, Big Etienne was 
at great pains to make us understand that 
it would take him many weeks to find 
Philip and bring him back to us, because 
the way was long and difficult. He said 
we must not look to see the lad before the 
snow lay deep ; but he bound himself to 
bring him back in safety, barring visita- 
tion of God. I saw that Mizpah now 
trusted the tall warrior even as I did. I 
felt that he would make good his pledge 
at any hazard. I urged, however, that he 
should take me with him ; but on this 
point he was obstinate, saying that my 
presence would only make his task the 
more difficult, for reasons which occurred 
to me very readily. It cost me a struggle 
to give up my purpose of being myself 
the child's rescuer, and so winning the 
more credit in Mizpah's eyes. But this 
selfish prompting of my heart I speedily 
crushed (for which I thank Heaven) when 
I saw that Big Etienne's plan was the best 
that could be devised for Philip. 

Some miles below the point where the 


256 The Forge in the Forest 


river was already widening, we passed a 
group of Indians with their canoes drawn 
up on the shore, waiting to ascend with 
the returning tide. Recognizing Big 
Etienne in the stern, they paid us no 
attention beyond a friendly hail. Late 
in the evening we camped, well beyond 
the river mouth. Once on the following 
morning, when far out upon the bosom 
of the bay, we passed a canoe that was 
bound for the Shubenacadie, and again 
the presence and parting hail of our pro- 
tector saved us from question. Our halts 
for meals were brief and far apart, but light 
head winds baffled us much on the journey, 
so that it was not till toward evening of 
the second day out from the Shubenacadie 
mouth that we paddled into the Canard, 
and drew up at Giraud’s little landing 
under the bank. 


Chapter XX 

The Fellowship Dissolved 

I N Giraud's cabin during our absence 
things had gone tranquilly. We 
found Marc mending, — pale and weak 
indeed, but happy; Prudence no longer 
pale, and with a content in her eyes which 
told us that her time had not been all 
passed in grieving for our absence. Father 
Fafard was in charge, of course ; and of 
the Black Abbe there had been nothing 
seen or heard since our departure. 

Nevertheless there was great news, and 
a word that deeply concerned me. De 
Ramezay had led his little army against 
Annapolis. Just ten days before had he 
passed up the Valley; and for me he 
had left an urgent message, begging me 
to join him immediately on my return. 
This was a black disappointment; for just 

257 


258 The Forge in the Forest 


now my soul desired nothing so much as 
a few days of quiet converse with Miz- 
pah, and the chance to show her a cour- 
tesy something different from the rough 
comradeship of our wilderness travels. 
But this was not to be. It was incum- 
bent upon me to go in the morning. 

That evening was a busy one ; but I 
snatched leisure to sit by Marc's bedside 
and give the dear lad a hasty outline of 
our adventure. The tale called a flush to 
his face, and breathless exclamations from 
Prudence ; but Mizpah sat in silence, 
save for a faint protest once or twice when 
I told of her heroism, and of her noble 
self-sacrifice on behalf of the Indian lad. 
She was weighed down with a sadness 
which she could make no pretence to 
hide, — doubtless feeling the more little 
Philip's absence and loneliness as she con- 
templated Marc's joy on my return. My 
hands and lips ached with a longing to 
comfort her, but I firmly forbade myself 
to intrude upon her sorrow. By and by, 
when I spoke of my positive determina- 
tion to set out for Annapolis in the early 


The Fellowship Dissolved 


morning, both Marc and Prudence strove 
hard to dissuade me, crying out fervently 
against my going ; but Mizpah said 
nothing more than — 

‘‘Why not take one day^ at least, to 
rest ? ” 

And I was somewhat hurt at the quiet 
way she said it. Said I to myself within, 
“ She might spare me a little thought, 
now that she knows Philip is safe, and 
sure to be brought back to her.** 

In the morning I saw Big Etienne and 
Xavier set forth upon their quest, — and 
Mizpah stood beside me to wish them a 
grateful “ God-speed.** Pale and sad as 
was the exquisite Madonna face, her lips 
were marvellously red, and wore an un- 
wonted tenderness. Her eyes evaded 
mine, — which hurt me sorely, but I was 
comforted a little by her word as the 
canoe slipped silently away. 

“ I wish we were going with them,** 
said she, in a wistful voice. 

It was that “ we ** that stirred my heart. 

“Would to God we were!** said I. 

Half an hour later I hung over my 


26 o The Forge in the Forest 


dear lad's pallet, pressing his hands, and 
bidding him adieu, and kissing his gaunt 
cheeks. When at last I turned away, 
dashing some unexpected drops from my 
eyes (for I had eagerly desired his com- 
radeship in this venture, and had dreamed 
of him fighting at my side), I found that 
Prudence and the Cure had gone down 
to the landing to see me off, and that 
Mizpah stood alone just outside the 
door, looking pale and tired. I think I 
was aggrieved that she should not take 
the trouble to walk down as far as the 
landing, — and this may have lent my 
voice a touch of reserve. 

Good-bye, Madame," said I, holding 
out my hand. “ May God keep you ! " 

In truth it lay heavily upon my soul 
that she should not have one thought to 
spare from the child, for me. Yet I was 
not prepared for the way she took my 
farewell. 

It was ^ comrade ' but yesterday," 
she murmured, flushing, and withdrawing 
her hand ere I could give it an instant's 
pressure. But growing straightway pale 


The Fellowship Dissolved 261 


again, she added with the stateliness so 
native to her : — 

“ Farewell, Monsieur. May God keep 
you also ! My gratitude to the most gal- 
lant of gentlemen, to the bravest and 
truest succourer of those in need, I must 
ask you to believe in without words ; for 
truly I have no words to express it.” 
And with that she turned away, leaving 
me most sore at heart for something more 
than gratitude. 

A few minutes later, when I had made 
my adieux to Father Fafard, and kissed 
Marc's lily maid, as was my right and 
duty, I had a surprise which sent me 
on my way something more happily. As 
our canoe (I had Giraud with me now) 
slipped round a little bluff below the set- 
tlement, I caught the flutter of a gown 
among the trees ; and the next instant 
Mizpah appeared, waving her handker- 
chief. She had gone a good half-mile 
to wave me a last God-speed. 

For an instant, as I bared my head, I 
had a vision of her hair all down about 
her, a glory that I can never think of 


262 . The Forge in the Forest 


without a trembling in my throat. I saw 
a speaking tenderness in her Madonna 
face, — and I seemed to hear in my heart 
a call which assuredly her lips did not 
utter ; then my eyes blurred, so hard was 
it to keep from turning back. I leaned 
my head forward for a moment on my 
arms, as if I had been a soft boy, but 
feeling the canoe swerve instantly from its 
course, I rose at once and resumed my 
paddling. 

Nevertheless I turned my head ever 
and anon toward the shore behind, till I 
could catch no more the flutter of her 
gown among the trees. 

I have wondered many times since, how 
Mizpah’s hair chanced then to be down 
about her in that fashion. Did some 
wanton branch undo it as she came 
hastily through the trees ? Or did her 
own long fingers loosen it for me ? 

Of de Ramezay’s vain march against 
Annapolis I need not speak with any 
fulness here. The September weather 
was propitious, wherefore the expedition 


The Fellowship Dissolved 263 


was an agreeable jaunt for the troops. 
But my good friend the Commander 
found the fort too strong and too well 
garrisoned for the force he had brought 
against it; and the great fleet from France 
which was to have supported him came 
never to drop anchor in the basin of 
secure Port Royal. It is an ill tale for 
French ears to hear, for French lips to 
relate, that which tells of the thronged 
and mighty ships which sailed from 
France so proudly to restore the Flag 
of the Lilies to her ancient strongholds. 
Oh, my Country, what hadst thou done, 
that the stars in their courses should fight 
against thee ? For, indeed, the hand of 
fate upon the ships was heavy from the 
first. Great gales scattered them. By 
twos and threes they met the English 
foe, and were destroyed ; or disease broke 
out amongst their crews, till they were 
forced to flee back into port with their 
dying ; or they struggled on through in- 
finite toil and pain, to be hurled to wreck 
on our iron capes of Acadie. The few 
that came in safety fled back again when 


264 The Forge in the Forest 


they knew the fate of their fellows. And 
our grim-visaged adversaries of New Eng- 
land, rejoicing in their great deliverance, 
set themselves to singing psalms of praise 
with great lustihood through their noses. 

And for my own part, when I reached 
de Ramezay’s camp, the enterprise was 
already as good as abandoned. For a 
week longer, less to annoy the enemy, 
than to spy out the land and commune 
with the inhabitants, we lay before Annap- 
olis. Then de Ramezay struck camp, 
and bade his grumbling companions march 
back to Chignecto. 

But of me he asked a service. And, 
though I had hoped to go at once to 
Canard, I could not, in honour, deny him. 
I saw him and his little army marching 
back whither my heart was fain to drag 
me also ; but my face was set seaward, 
whither I had no desire to go. 

For the matter was, that de Ramezay 
had affairs with the Abenaqui chiefs of 
the Penobscot, which affairs he was now 
unable to tend in person, and which he 
durst hardly entrust to a subordinate, or 


The Fellowship Dissolved 265 


to one unused to dealing with our savage 
allies. He knew my credit among the 
Penobscot tribes, — and indeed, he would 
have been sorely put to it, had I denied 
him in the matter. The affair carried me 
from the Penobscot country on to the St. 
Lawrence, and then to Montreal. The 
story of it is not pertinent to this narra- 
tive, and moreover, which is more to the 
purpose, the affair was no less private in 
its nature than public in its import. Suf- 
fice to say of it, therefore, that with my 
utmost despatch it engaged me up to 
the closing of the year. It was not till 
January was well advanced that I found 
myself again in de Ramezay's camp at 
Chignecto, and looked out across the 
snow-glittering marshes to the dear hills 
of Acadie. 

I found that during my absence things 
had happened. The English governor 
at Annapolis, conceiving that the Acadians 
were restless to throw off the English 
yoke, had called upon New England for 
reinforcements. In answer, Boston had 
sent five hundred of her gaunt and silent 


266 The Forge in the Forest 


soldiery, bitter fighters, drinkers of strong 
rum, quaintly sanctimonious in their cups. 
Their leader was one Colonel Noble, a 
man of excellent courage, but small dis- 
cretion, and with a foolish contempt for 
his enemies. These men, as de Ramezay 
told me, were now quartered in Grand 
Pre village, and lying carelessly. It was 
his purpose to attack them at once. But 
being himself weak from a recent sickness, 
he was obliged to place the conduct of the 
enterprise in the hands of his second in 
command. This, as I rejoiced to learn, 
was a very capable and experienced officer. 
Monsieur de Villiers, — the same who, 
some years later, was to capture the young 
Virginian captain, Mr. Washington, at 
Fort Necessity. Though our force was 
less than that of the New Englanders, de 
Ramezay and de Villiers both trusted to 
the advantages of a surprise and a night 
attack. 

For my own part I liked little this plan 
of a night attack ; for I love a fair defi- 
ance and an open field, and all my years 
of bush fighting have not taught me an- 


The Fellowship Dissolved 267 


other sentiment. But I was well inclined 
toward any action that would take me 
speedily to Canard. Moreover, I knew 
that de Ramezay’s plan was justified by 
the smallness of the force which he could 
place at de Villiers’ command. I had 
further a shrewd suspicion that there were 
enough of the villagers on the English 
side to keep the New Englanders fairly 
warned of our movements. In this, as 
I learned afterwards, I suspected rightly, 
but the blind over-confidence of Colonel 
Noble made the warning of no effect. 
The preparations for our march went on 
briskly, and with an eager excitement. 
The bay being now impassable by reason 
of the drifting ice, the journey was to be 
made on snow-shoes, by the long, cir- 
cuitous land route, through Beaubassin, 
Cobequid, Piziquid, and so to the Gas- 
pereau mouth. Every one was in high 
spirits with the prospect of action after 
a long and inglorious delay. But for me 
the days passed leadenly. I was con- 
sumed with impatience, and anxiety, and 
passionate desire for a face that was never 


268 The Forge in the Forest 


an hour absent from my thoughts. My 
first act on arriving at Chignecto had 
been to ask for Tamin, trusting that he 
might have tidings from Canard. But de 
Ramezay told me that he had sent the 
shrewd fisherman-soldier to Grand Pre 
for information. 

In a fever I awaited his return. 

At last, but three days before the time 
set for our departure, he arrived. From 
him I learned that Marc was so far re- 
covered as to walk abroad for a short 
airing whenever the weather was fine. 
He, as well as the ladies, was lying very 
close in Giraud’s cottage, and their pres- 
ence was not known to the New Eng- 
landers at Grand Pre, at which information 
I was highly gratified. 

“ And are the ladies in good health ? ** 
I asked. 

The little Miss looks rugged, and her 
eyes are like stars,” said Tamin ; “ but 
Madame — Ah, she is pale, and her eyes 
are heavy.” Tamin’s own eyes almost 
hid themselves in a network of little 
wrinkles as he spoke, scrutinizing my 


The Fellowship Dissolved 269 


face. She weeps for the child. She 
said perhaps you, Monsieur, would find 
him in your travels, and bring him back 
to her ! ” 

My heart sank at the word. I could 
not go to Canard, — I could not face 
Mizpah again, till I could go to her 
with Philip in my arms. I had hoped 
that he was restored to her ere this. 
What had happened ? Had Big Etienne 
deceived me ? And Xavier, too ? I could 
not think it. Yet what else could I 
think ? 

‘‘Ah, my friend,'' said I, with bitter- 
ness, “ she will be grievously disappointed 
in me. She will say I promise much, and 
perform little. And alas, it seems even 
so. I have not seen or heard of the 
child. But has Big Etienne come back ? 
Surely he has not come back without the 
child " 

Tamil!, it was plain, had heard the 
whole story from Marc, for he asked no 
questions, and showed no surprise. 

“No," said he, “they're both away. 
Big Etienne and Xavier, gone nigh onto 


270 The Forge in the Forest 


four months. Some says to Gaspe ; 
some says to Saguenay. Who knows ? 
They’re Injuns ! ” And Tamin shrugged 
his shoulders, while his honest little eyes 
grew beady with distrust. 

But I no more distrusted, and my 
heart lightened mightily. They had been 
checked, baffled perhaps, for weeks ; but I 
felt that they were faithful and would suc- 
ceed. I resolved that the moment this 
enterprise of de Villiers’ was accomplished 
I would go to help them. But I had yet 
more questions for Tamin. 

And the Black Abbe ? ” I asked. 
“ Where is he ? ” 

“At Baie Verte, minding his store, or 
at Cobequid with his red lambs,” replied 
Tamin, puckering his wide mouth drolly. 
“ He is little at Chignecto since he met 
you there. Monsieur. And he has not 
been seen at Canard since Giraud’s cabin 
grew so hospitable. But Grul is much in 
the neighbourhood. I think the Black 
Abbe fears him.” 

Remembering the awful scene on the 
cliffs of the des Saumons, I felt that 


The Fellowship Dissolved 271 


Tamin’s surmise was fairly founded ; and 
I blessed the strange being who thus 
kept watch over those whom I loved. 
But I said nothing to Tamin of what 
was in my mind, thinking it became me 
to keep Grufs counsel. 


Chapter XXI 

The Fight at Grand Pre 

O N the 23d day of January, 1747, we 
set out from Chignecto, four hun- 
dred tried bush fighters, white and red, — - 
some three score of our men being Indians. 
We went on snow-shoes, for the world was 
buried in drifts. There was much snow 
that winter, with steady cold and no Jan- 
uary thaw. On the marsh the snow lay in 
mighty windrows ; but in the woods it was 
deep, deep, and smotheringly soft. The 
branches of fir and spruce and hemlock 
bent to the earth beneath the white burden 
of it, forming solemn aisles and noiseless 
fanes within. We marched in column. 
The leaders, who had the laborious task of 
tramping the unbroken snow, would keep 
their place for an hour, then fall to the 
rear, and enjoy the grateful ease of march- 
272 


The Fight at Grand Pre 273 


ing in the footsteps of their fellows. Some- 
times, as our column wound along like 
a huge dark snake, some great branch, 
awakened by our laughter, would let slip 
its burden upon us in a sudden avalanche. 
Sometimes, in crossing a hidden water- 
course, the leading files would disappear, 
to be dragged forth drenched and cursing 
and derided. 

But there were as yet no enemies to 
beware of ; so we marched merrily, and 
cheered our nights with unstinted blaze of 
camp fires. 

On our fourth evening out from Chig- 
necto, when we had halted about an hour, 
there came visitors to the camp. My 
ear was caught by the sentry's challenge. 
I went indifferently to see what the stir 
was all about. 

Monsieur, we are come ! " cried a 
glad voice which I keenly remembered ; 
and Xavier, his face aglow in the fire- 
light, sprang forward to grasp my hand. 
Behind him, standing in moveless dignity, 
was Big Etienne, and at his feet a light 
sledge, with a bundle wrapped in furs. 


274 The Forge in the Forest 


My heart gave a great bound of thank- 
ful joy; and I stepped forward to seize 
the tall warrior’s hand in both of mine. 

“ He is well ! He sleeps ! ” said Big 
Etienne, gravely. In dealing with men, 
I pride myself on knowing what to say and 
how to say it. But at this moment I was 
filled with so many emotions that words 
were not at my command. Some sort of 
thanks I stammered to express, — but the 
Indian understood and interrupted me. 

‘‘You thank me moons ago, brother,” 
he said, in an earnest voice. “ You give 
me my boy. Now I give you yours. 
And we will not forget. That’s all.” 

“We will never forget, indeed, my 
brother,” said I, fervently, and again I 
clasped hands with him, thus pledging a 
comradeship which in many a strait since 
then has stood me in good stead. 

During the rest of that long mid-winter 
march, Philip remained in the care of 
young Xavier, to whom, as well as to Big 
Etienne, he was altogether devoted ; and 
I saw a new side of the red man’s char- 
acter in the tenderness of the stern chief 


The Fight at Grand Pre 275 


toward the child. For my own part I 
lost no time in bidding for my share in 
Philip's affections. My love went out to 
the brave-eyed little fellow as if he had been 
the child of my own flesh. And moreover 
I was fain to win an ally who would help 
me to besiege his mother's heart. 

Big Etienne had spoken within the 
mark in saying the child was well. His 
cheeks were dark with smoke and with 
forgetfulness of soap and water ; but the 
red blood tinged them wholesomely. His 
long yellow hair was tangled, but it had 
the burnished resilience of health. His 
mouth, a bow of strength and sweetness, 
— his mother's mouth, — wore the scarlet 
of clean veins ; and the great sea-green 
eyes with which he stirred my soul were 
unclouded by fear or sickness. Before 
our march brought us to the hills of 
Gaspereau, Philip had admitted me to 
his favour, ranking me, I think, almost as 
he did Xavier and Big Etienne. More 
than that I could not have dared to hope. 

At sundown of the ninth of February, 
the seventeenth day of our march from 


276 The Forge in the Forest 


Chignecto, we halted in a fir wood only 
three miles from the Gaspereau mouth. 
We lit no camp fires now, but supped 
cold, though heartily. We had been met 
the day before by messengers from Grand 
Pre, who told de Villiers the disposition 
of the English troops. With incredible 
carelessness they were scattered through- 
out the settlement. About one hundred 
and fifty, under Colonel Noble himself, 
were quartered along a narrow lane, which, 
running at right angles to the main street, 
climbed the hillside at the extreme west 
of the village. For my own part, though 
de Villiers' senior in military rank, I was 
but a volunteer in this expedition, and 
served the chief as a kind of informal 
aide-de-camp and counsellor. 

Together we formed the plan of attack. 
It was resolved that one half our com- 
pany, under de Villiers himself, should 
fall upon the isolated party in the lane 
and cut them to pieces. That left us but 
two hundred men with whom to engage 
the remaining three hundred and fifty of 
the New Englanders, — a daring vent- 


The Fight at Grand Pre 277 


ure, but I undertook to lead it. I un- 
dertook by no means to defeat them, 
however. I knew the fine mettle of 
these vinegar-faced New Englanders, but 
I swore (and kept my oath) that I would 
occupy them pleasantly till de Villiers, 
making an end of the other detachment, 
should come to my aid and clinch the 
victory. 

The plan of attack thus settled, I turned 
my attention to Philip. Nigh at hand was 
a cottage where I was known, — where I 
believed the folk to be very kindly and 
honest. I told Big Etienne that we would 
put the child there to sleep, and after the 
battle take him to his mother at Canard. 

“ And, my brother,’' said I, laying my 
hand on his arm, and looking into his 
eyes with meaning, let Xavier stay with 
him, for he will be afraid among strangers.” 

“Xavier must fight,” replied the tall 
warrior. But his eyes shifted from mine, 
and there was indecision in his voice. 

“ Xavier is but a boy yet, my brother,” 
I insisted. “ And this is a night attack. 
It is no place for an untried boy. No 


278 The Forge in the Forest 


glory, but great peril, for one who has not 
experience ! For my sake bid Xavier stay 
with the child.” 

‘‘You are right, brother. He shall 
stay,” said the Indian. 

And Xavier was not consulted. He 
stayed. But his was a face of sore disap- 
pointment when we left him with Philip 
at the cottage, — “ to guard with your 
life, if need be ! ” said I, in going. And 
thus gave him a sense of responsibility 
and peril to cheer his bitter inaction. 

It had been snowing all day, but lightly. 
After nightfall there blew up a fitful wind, 
now fierce, now breathless. At one mo- 
ment the air would be thick with drift, 
and the great blasts would buffet us in 
the teeth. At another, there would seem 
to be in all the dim-glimmering world no 
movement and no breathing but our own. 

It was far past midnight when we came 
upon the hill-slope overlooking Grand 
Pre village ; and the village was asleep. 
Not a light was visible save in one long 
row of cottages at the extreme east end, 
close by the water side. Thither, at our 


The Fight at Grand Pre 279 


orders, the villagers had quietly with- 
drawn before midnight. The rash New 
England men lay sleeping, with appar- 
ently no guards set. If there were sen- 
tries, then the storm had driven them 
indoors. 

The great gusts swirled and roared 
past their windows, piling the drift more 
deeply about their thresholds. If any 
woke, they turned perchance luxuriously 
in their beds and listened to the blasts, 
and praised God that the Acadian peas- 
ants builded their houses warm. They 
had no thought of the ruin that drew near 
through the drifts and the whirling dark- 
ness. I have never heard that one of 
them was kept awake with strange terrors, 
or had any prevision, or made special 
searching of his soul before sleep. 

It would seem as if Heaven must have 
forgotten them for a little. Or perhaps 
the saints remembered that the English 
were not a people to take advice kindly, 
or to change their plans for any sort of 
warning that might seem to them irreg- 
ular. But among us French, that night. 


The Forge in the Forest 


there was one at least who was granted 
some prevision. 

Just before the two columns separated, 
Tamin came to me and wrung my hand. 
He was with de Villiers’ detachment. 
There was a certain awe, a something of 
farewell, in his manner, and it moved my 
heart mightily. But I clapped him on 
the back. ‘‘No forebodings, now, my 
friend,'* said I ; “ keep a good heart and 
your eyes wide open." 

“The snow is deep to-night. Mon- 
sieur ! " said he gravely, as he turned 
away. 

“True," I answered; “but the apple 
trees are at the other end of the village ; 
and who ever heard that the Black Abbe 
was a prophet r " 

Even as I spoke my heart smote me, 
and I would have given much to wring 
the loyal fellow's hand once more. But I 
feared to add to his depression. 

My men all knew their parts before 
I led them from the camp. Once in the 
village, only a few whispered orders were 
necessary. Squad by squad, dim forms 


The Fight at Grand Pre 281 


like phantoms in the drift, filed off 
stealthily to their places. 

I, with two dozen others, Big Etienne 
at my elbow, took post about the centre 
of the village, where three large houses, 
joined together, seemed to promise a 
rough bout. Then we waited. Saints, 
how long we waited, as it seemed ! The 
snow invaded us. But the apple trees 
were many, and we leaned against them, 
gnawing our fingers, and protecting our 
primings with the long flaps of our coats. 
At last there came a musket-shot from 
the far-olf* lane, and straightway there- 
upon a crashing volley, followed by a 
dreadful outcry — shouts and screams, and 
the yelling of the Indians. 

Our waiting was done. We sprang 
forward to dash in the nearest win- 
dows, to batter down the nearest doors. 
Lights gleamed. Then came crashes of 
musketry from the points where I had 
placed my several parties, and I knew 
they had found their posts. The fight 
once begun, there was little room for gen- 
eralship in that driven and shrieking dark. 


282 


The Forge in the Forest 


I could see but what was before me. In 
those three houses there were brave men, 
that I knew. Springing from sleep in 
their shirts, they seemed to wake full 
armed, and were already firing upon us 
as we tried to force our way in through 
the windows. The main door of the big- 
gest house we strove to carry with a rush, 
but that, too, belched lead and fire in 
our faces, and we came upon a barrier of 
household stuff just inside. By the light 
of a musket flash, I saw a huge, sour- 
faced fellow in his shirt, standing on the 
barrier, with his gun-stock swung back. 
I made at him nimbly with my sword. I 
reached him, and the uplifted weapon fell 
somewhere harmless in the dark. The 
next moment I felt a sword point, thrust- 
ing blindly, furrow across my temple, 
tearing as if it were both hot and dull, 
and at the same instant I was dragged out 
again into the snow. Three of us, how- 
ever, as I learned afterwards, stayed on 
the floor within. 

It was Big Etienne who had saved me. 
I was dizzy for a moment with my 


The Fight at Grand Pre 283 


wound, the blood throbbing down in a 
flood ; but I ordered all to fall back 
under the shelter of the apple trees, and 
keep up a steady firing upon the doors 
and windows. The order was passed along, 
and in a few minutes the firing was steady. 
Then winding my kerchief tightly about 
my temples, I bade Big Etienne knot it 
for me, and for the time I thought no 
more of that sword-scratch. 

Though my men were heavily outnum- 
bered, the enemy could not guess how few 
we were. Moreover, we had the shelter 
of the trees, and our fire had their win- 
dows to converge upon. We held them, 
therefore, with no great loss, except for 
those that fell in the first onslaught, which 
was bloody for both sides. Presently a 
tongue of flame shot up, and I knew that 
they had set fire to one of the houses on 
the lane. The shouting there, and the 
yelling, died away, but a scattering crackle 
of musketry continued. Then another 
building burst into flame. The night 
grew all one red, wavering glare. As the 
smoke clouds blew this way and that, the 


284 The Forge in the Forest 


shadows rose and fell. The squalls of 
drift blurred everything ; but in the lulls 
men stood out suddenly as simple targets, 
and were shot with great precision. Yet 
we had shelter enough, too ; for every 
house, every barn and shed, cast a block 
of thick darkness on its northern side. 
Then men began to gather in upon the 
centre. Here a squad of my own fellows 
— yelling and cheering with triumph, if 
they were Indians, quietly exultant if they 
were veterans — would come from the 
conquest of a cottage. There a knot of 
half-clad English, fleeing reluctantly and 
firing over their shoulders as they fled, 
would arrive, beat at the doors before us, 
and be let in hastily under our fire, leav- 
ing always some of their number on the 
threshold. It was like no other fight I 
had ever fought, for the strange confusion 
of it ; or perhaps my wound confused me 
yet a little. At length a louder yelling, 
a sharper firing, a wilder and mightier 
clamour, arose in the direction of the lane. 
Our own firing slackened. All eyes turned 
to watch a little band which, fighting furi- 


The Fight at Grand Pre 285 

ously, was forcing its way hither through 
a swarm of assailants. ^‘The vinegar- 
faces can fight ! ” I cried, “ but we must 
stop them. Come on, lads ! ” And with 
a score at my back I rushed to meet the 
new-comers. Rushed, did I say ? But I 
should have said struggled and floundered. 
For, the moment we were clear of the 
trampled area, and found ourselves in the 
open fields, the snow went nearly to our 
middles. Yet we met the gallant little 
band, which having shaken off its assail- 
ants, now fell upon us with a welcome of 
most earnest curses. Men speak of the 
bloody ferocity of a duel in a dark room. 
It is nothing to the blind, blundering, 
reckless, snarling rage of that struggle in 
the deep snow, and under that swimming 
delusive light. Having emptied my 
musket and my pistols, I threw them 
all away, and fell to playing nimbly with 
my sword. Big Etienne I saw close 
beside me, swinging his musket by the 
barrel. Suddenly its deadly sweep missed 
its object. The tall warrior fell headfore- 
most, carried off his uneasy balance by 


286 The Forge in the Forest 


the force of the blow. Ere he could 
flounder up again a foeman was upon 
him with uplifted sword. But with a 
mighty lunge, hurling myself forward 
from the drift that held my feet, I reached 
the man's neck with my own point, and 
fell at his feet. He came down in a heap 
on top of me. His knee, as I suppose 
it was, struck me violently on the head. 
Perhaps I was already weakened by that 
cut upon the temple. The noise all died 
suddenly away. I remember thinking 
how warm the snow felt against my face. 
And the rest of the fight was no concern 
of mine. 


Chapter XXII 

The Black Abbe Strikes in the Dark 

I WAS awakened to consciousness by 
some one gently lifting me. I strug- 
gled at once to my feet, leaning upon 
him. It was Big Etienne. 

“ You much hurt ? ” he queried, in 
great concern. 

“Why, no!** said I, presently. “Head 
feels sore. I think 1*11 be all right in a 
minute.** 

It was in the red and saffron of dawn. 
The snow had stopped falling. The mus- 
kets had stopped clattering. The battle 
was apparently at an end. All around lay 
bodies, or rather parts of bodies ; for they 
were more or less hidden in the snow. 
Close by me just a pair of knees was visi- 
ble, thrust up through a drift into which 
the man had plunged in falling. 

287 


288 The Forge in the Forest 


The snow was all mottled with blood 
and powder, a very hideous colour to 
look upon. I stood erect and stretched 
myself. 

Why, brother,” I exclaimed, in great 
relief, “ I am as good as new. Where is 
the commander ? ” 

Big Etienne pointed in silence to the 
street before the three houses. There I 
saw our men drawn up in menacing array. 
In and behind the houses were crowded 
the dark masses of the New Englanders, 
punctuated here and there with the scarlet 
of an officer’s coat. 

De Villiers greeted me as one recovered 
from the grave. I asked eagerly how he 
had sped, and how the matter now rested. 

“ Success, everywhere success, Briart ! ” 
he answered, with a sort of controlled 
elation. ^^You held these fellows, while 
we wiped out those yonder. But it was 
a cruel and bloody affair, and I would the 
times, and the straits of New France, 
required not such killing in the dark. 
But they set fire to a house and barn 
that they might fight in the light, and 


The Black Abbe Strikes 289 


so a band of them escaped us and cut 
their way through here, — what was left 
of them, at least, after they got done with 
you ! And now their remnant is hemmed 
in yonder.” 

“ WeVe got them, then,” said I. 

Surely,” he answered. But it will 
cost our best blood to end it. They 
have fought like heroes, though they 
kept guard like fools. And they will 
battle it out, I think, while a man of 
them stands.” 

“ Yes, 'tis the breed of them ! ” said 
I, looking across with admiration at the 
silent and dangerous ranks. ‘‘ But they 
have done all that brave men could 
do. They will accept honourable terms, 
I think ; and such we may offer them 
without any touch of discredit. What 
do you say ? ” 

This was, indeed what de Villiers had 
in his heart. He withdrew his troops 
some little distance, that negotiations 
might be the less embarrassed ; and I 
myself, feeling a fresh dizziness, retired 
to a cottage where I might have my 


290 The Forge in the Forest 


wound properly tended. But barely had 
I got the bandage loosened, — a black- 
eyed Acadian maid standing by, with 
face of deep commiseration and holding 
a basin of hot water for me, — when there 
broke out a sudden firing. I clapped the 
bloody bandage to my head, and ran 
forth ; but I saw there was no need of 
me. The English had sallied with a fierce 
heat, hoping to retrieve their fortunes. 
But the deep snow was like an army to 
shut them in. Before they could come at 
us they were exhausted, and our muskets 
dropped them swiftly in the drifts. Sul- 
lenly they fell back again upon their 
houses. I turned to my basin and my 
bandaging. 

‘‘ That settles that ! ” said I to the 
damsel. 

‘‘ Settles what. Monsieur ? she asked. 
But as she spoke I saw a look of sudden 
concern cross her face, a faintness came 
over me, and I lay down, feeling her arm 
support me as I sank. 

Sleep is the best of medicines for me. 
I woke late in the afternoon to find my 


The Black Abbe Strikes 291 


head neatly bandaged, and the dizziness 
all gone. Men came and went softly. 
I found that de Villiers was lying in the 
same house, having got a serious wound 
just after I left him. La Come, a brave 
Canadian, was in command. The Eng- 
lish had capitulated toward noon, and had 
pledged themselves to depart for Annapo- 
lis within forty-eight hours, not to bear 
arms again in Acadie within six months. 
We had redeemed at Grand Pre our late 
failure at Annapolis. 

My first act was to send a runner, on 
snow-shoes, to Canard, with a scrawled 
note to Mizpah. Explaining nothing, I 
merely begged that she and Prudence, 
with Marc and Father Fafard, should 
meet me at the Forge about noon of the 
following day. In the case of Marc not 
being yet strong enough to journey so 
far, I prayed Mizpah herself, in any 
event, to come without fail. My next 
was to send a messenger for Xavier and 
Philip. My heart had fallen to aching 
curiously for the child, — insomuch that 
I marvelled at it, till at length I set it 


2g2 The Forge in the Forest 


down as a mere whimsical counterfeit of 
my longing for his mother. 

Being now refreshed and altogether 
myself again, I went to visit the lane 
wherein the fight had opened. The very 
first house, whose shattered door and 
windows, blood-smeared threshold, and 
dripping window-sills, showed that the 
fight had there raged long and madly, 
had one great apple tree beside its gar- 
den gate. A chill of foreboding smote 
me as I marked it. I approached with a 
curious and painful expectancy, the words 
of the Black Abbe ringing again in my 
ears. At the foot of the apple tree the 
snow was drifted deep. It half covered a 
pitifully huddled body. 

I lifted the body. It was Tamin. 

He had been shot through the lungs, 
and his blood, melting the snow, had 
gathered in a crimson pool beneath him. 
Here was one grim prophecy fulfilled. 
Carrying him into the house, I laid him 
gently on a bed. Then I turned away 
with a very sorrowful heart ; for there was 
much to do, and the dead are not urgent. 


The Black Abbe Strikes 293 


Even as I turned, my heart jumped 
with a new and sickening dread. Xavier 
stood before me — Xavier, with wild eyes, 
and face darkly clotted with blood. The 
next instant he threw himself at my 
feet. 

The child ! ” he muttered, covering 
his face. ‘‘ They have carried him away. 
They have carried Philip away ! 

“ What do you mean ? I cried, in a 
voice which my fear made harsh, while at 
the same time I dragged him to his feet. 
‘‘Who have carried him away ? Who ? ” 

But I knew the answer ere he could 
speak it, — I knew my enemy had seized 
the chances of the battle and the night. 

“The Black Abbe,” wailed the lad, in 
a voice of poignant sorrow. “He came 
in the night, with two Chepody Acadians 
dressed up like Indians, and seized me 
asleep, and bound me.” 

“ But Philip ! ” I cried. “ Where have 
they taken him ? ” And even as I spoke 
I was planning swiftly. 

“ The Abbe started westward with 
him,” answered Xavier. “From what 


294 The Forge in the Forest 


I heard say, he would go to Pereau ; 
but which way after, I could not find 
out.” 

“ Come ! ” I ordered roughly, we must 
follow them ! ” But as I spoke I saw the 
lad totter. I caught him by the arm and 
held him up, perceiving now for the first 
time how he was both wounded and 
utterly spent. 

Let us go first to your father,” I said 
more gently, leading him, and putting 
what curb I could upon the fierceness 
of my haste. 

How did you get here ? ” I asked 
him presently. 

A gleam came into the lad’s faint eyes. 

The Chepody men stayed till morn- 
ing,” said he, “ and then set out on the 
road toward Piziquid, taking me with 
them. They thought I was nothing but 
a boy. As we went, I got my hands 
loose, so, — and waited. At noon one 
man went into a house, — and — sol — 
I was free, and had the other dog by the 
throat. He make no noise ; but he fight 
hard, and hurt me. I got away, and left 


The Black Abbe Strikes 


295 


him in the snow, and ran back all the way 
to tell you the Black Abbe — ” 

But here the poor lad’s voice failed, 
and he hung upon me with all his weight. 
He had fainted, indeed ; and now that I 
thought of his wound, his hunger, his 
grief, and his prodigious exertions, I won- 
dered not at his swooning. Picking him 
up in my arms, I carried him to the cot- 
tage where the kind damsel had so com- 
passionately tended my own bruises. 

As I entered the thronged cottage with 
my burden, men came about me with 
many questions ; but I kept my own 
counsel, not knowing whom I could trust, 
or where the Black Abbe might not have 
his spies posted. Moreover, I was so 
distracted with anxiety about the child, 
that I had small patience wherewith to 
take questioning civilly. Every bed and 
every settle being occupied with our 
wounded, I laid Xavier on the floor, with 
his head upon a blue petticoat which the 
kind damsel — who came to me as soon 
as she saw me enter — fetched from a cup- 
board and rolled up deftly for me. After 


296 The Forge in the Forest 


a careful examination I found no wound 
upon the lad save two shallow flesh cuts, 
one across his forehead and one down his 
chest. I thereupon concluded that ex- 
haustion, together with the loss of blood, 
had brought him to this pass, and that 
with a few days’ care he would be alto- 
gether restored. Having put some brandy 
between his lips, and seen his eyelids 
tremble with recovering consciousness, I 
turned to the maiden and said : — 

“Take care of him for me, Cherie. 
He deserves your best care ; and I trust 
him to your good heart. Give him some- 
thing to eat now, — soup, hot milk, at 
first. And I will come back in two days 
from now, at furthest.” 

“ But Monsieur must rest ! ” 

“No rest for me to-night!” I inter- 
rupted, in a low voice, as I straightened 
myself up. “ Do you know where I 
may find the lad’s father, the chief. 
Big-” 

But there was no need for me to finish 
the question. There, close behind me, 
stood the tall Indian, looking down at 


The Black Abbe Strikes 297 


Xavier, with trouble in his eyes. He 
had just entered, in his silent fashion. 

“ There is no danger ! He is worn 
out ! '' I whispered. “ He has done all 
a brave man could do ; but the child is 
stolen ! Come outside with me.'' 

Big Etienne stooped quickly and laid 
his hand upon the lad's breast, and then, 
most gently, upon his lips. A second 
later he had followed me out into the 
deepening twilight. 

In few words I told him what had hap- 
pened, and my purpose of going instantly 
in pursuit. Without a word he strode 
off toward a small cabin about a stone's 
throw from the cottage which we had just 
left. 

“ Where are you going ? " I asked, as- 
tonished at this abruptness. 

“ My snow-shoes ! " he replied. “And 
bread. I go with you, my brother ! " 

This, in very truth, was just what I had 
hoped for. But, in my haste, I had for- 
gotten the need of eating ; and, as for my 
snow-shoes, usually strapped at my back, 
they had been left at the outskirts of the 


298 The Forge in the Forest 


village the night before in order that my 
sword arm might have the freer play. It 
was no time now to go back for them. I 
slipped into the cottage, borrowed a pair, 
and was presently forth again to meet Big 
Etienne. The Indian, instead of bread, 
had brought a goodly lump of dried beef. 
Side by side, and in silence, we set out for 
the cabin on the Gaspereau where Philip 
and Xavier had been captured. 

We found the place deserted. Either 
the man of the house had been a tool of 
La Game, or he feared that I would hold 
him responsible. Which it was, I know 
not to this day ; and, at the time, we gave 
small thought to the question, merely com- 
mending the fellow’s wisdom in removing 
himself from our indignation. What en- 
gaged our concern was a single snow-shoe 
track making westward, followed by the 
trail of a little sledge. 

‘‘Yes,” said I ; “Xavier is surely right. 
The Abbe has gone to cross the Habitants 
and the Canard where they are little, and 
will then, belike, turn down the valley to 
Pereau ! ” 


The Black Abbe Strikes 299 


Very like ! ” grunted my companion ; 
and, at a long lope, we started up the trail. 

This pace, however, soon told upon me, 
and brought it into my mind that I had, 
that day, eaten nothing but a bowl of 
broth. We halted, therefore, and rested 
half an hour in the warmth of a dense 
spruce coppice, and ate abundantly of that 
very savoury beef. Then, much revived, 
we set out again. Treading one behind 
the other, we marched, in silence, through 
the glimmering dark ; for Big Etienne 
was no talker, while I, for my part, was 
gnawing my heart with rage, and hope 
frustrated, and the picture of Mizpah's 
anguish. We never stayed our pace till 
we came, at the edge of dawn, to the spot 
where the trail went over the dwindled 
upper current of the Habitants. 

Here, to our astonishment, the trail 
turned eastward, following down the 
course of the river. 

I looked at the Indian in wondering 
consternation. What can it mean ? I 
cried. Can there be any new plot of his 
hatching at Canard ? 


300 The Forge in the Forest 


Maybe ! ” said Big Etienne. 

At thought of further perils threatening 
Mizpah and Marc, the weariness which 
had been growing upon me vanished, and 
I sprang forward as briskly as if we had 
but just set out. Even Big Etienne, 
though he had no such incentive as mine, 
seemed to win new vigour with the con- 
templation of this new coil of the enemy's. 
If, indeed, he appeared somewhat fresher 
than I throughout the latter half of this 
hard march, it is but justice to myself to 
say that he bore no wound from the late 
battle. 

At last, when it was well past ten of the 
morning, the trail led us out upon the 
main Canard track, and turned toward 
the settlement. 

“ Yes," said I, with bitter conviction ; 
‘^he has gone to Canard. He would 
never go there had he not some deep 
scheme of mischief afoot. God grant we 
be in time ! " 

In less than half an hour we came with- 
in sight of the Forge in the Forest. To 
my astonishment, the smoke was pouring 


The Black Abbe Strikes 301 


in furious volume from the forge chim- 
ney. 

“ What can Babin be about ? Or can 
Mizpah and Marc be there already ? ” I 
wondered aloud ; but got no answer from 
my companion. A moment later, a turn 
of the track brought us to a post of van- 
tage whence we could see straight into the 
forge. The sight which met our eyes 
brought us to an instant stop from sheer 
amazement. 


Chapter XXIII 

The Rendezvous at the Forge 

B eside the forge-fire stood Grul. 

On his left arm was perched Philip, 
half wrapped in the black-and-yellow 
cloak, and playing with Griirs white 
wand. At the back of the forge, fettered 
to the wall, and with his hands bound 
behind him, stood the black form of our 
adversary. Grul was heaving upon the 
bellows, and in the fierce white glow of 
the coal stuck a number of irons heating. 
These he turned and twisted with fan- 
tastic energy, now and then drawing one 
forth and brandishing it with a kind of 
mad glee, so as best to show the intensity 
of its colour ; and whenever he did so little 
Philip shouted with delight. 

The joy that surged through my breast 
as I took in all this astonishing turn of 

302 


The Rendezvous at the Forge 303 

affairs, was something which 1 have no 
words to tell of. 

“ Mary, Mother of Heaven, be praised 
for this I cried fervently. 

“ What will he do with irons ^ '' queried 
Big Etienne, with a curiously startled note 
in his voice. 

Indeed, what now followed was suffi- 
ciently startling. Grul had caught sight 
of us. Immediately he set the child 
down, heaved twice or thrice mightily 
upon the bellows, and then drew from the 
fire two white-hot rods of iron. With 
these, one in each hand, he approached 
the Black Abbe, treading swiftly and 
sinuously like a panther. I darted for- 
ward, chilled with sudden horror. A 
short scream of mortal fear came from 
the wretched captive's lips. 

‘‘ Stop ! stop ! " I shouted, as those 
terrible brands went circling hither and 
thither about the cringing form. The 
next instant, and ere I could reach the 
scene to interfere, the Abbe gave a huge 
bound, reached the door, and plunged 
out into the snow, pursued by a peal of 


304 The Forge in the Forest 


wild laughter from Grul’s lips. This 
most whimsical of madmen had befooled 
his captive, in much the same fashion as 
once before on the cliff beside the des 
Saumons. He had used the deadly iron 
merely to free him from his bonds, and 
again held in reserve his full vengeance. 

Fetching a huge breath of relief, I joined 
in Grul’s mocking laughter; while Big 
Etienne gave a grunt of manifest dissatis- 
faction. As for the Black Abbe, though 
the sweat of his terror stood in beads 
upon his forehead, he recovered his com- 
posure marvellously. Having run some 
dozen paces he stopped, turned, and gazed 
steadily upon Grul for perhaps the space 
of a full minute. Then, sweeping a scorn- 
ful glance across the child, the Indian, 
and myself, he half opened his lips to 
speak. But if he judged himself not 
then best ready to speak with dignity, — 
let no one marvel at that. He changed 
his purpose, folded his arms across his 
breast, and strode off slowly and in silence 
along the track toward Grand Pre. 

I thought his shadow, as it fell long 


The Rendezvous at the Forge 305 

and sinister across the snow, lay blacker 
than was the common wont of shadows. 

Big Etienne was already within, and 
Philip in his arms. As I entered the 
forge door Grul cried solemnly, as if to 
extenuate his act in freeing the pris- 
oner : — 

‘‘ His cup is not yet full.” 

Seizing both his hands in mine, I tried 
with stammering lips to thank him ; but, 
something to my chagrin, he cut me short 
most ungraciously. Snatching his hands 
away, he stepped outside the door, and 
raised his thrilling, bell-like chant : — 

‘^Woe, woe to Acadie the Fair, for 
the day of her desolation cometh.” 

Beyond all words though my grati- 
tude was, I could not refrain from 
shrugging my shoulders at this fantastic 
mummery, as I turned to embrace little 
Philip. My heart was rioting with joy 
and hope, and I could not trouble my 
wits with these mad whimsies of GruFs. 
When he had quit prophesying and 
come again within the forge, I tried to 
draw from him some account of how he 


3o 6 The Forge in the Forest 


had so achieved the child's rescue and the 
Black Abbe's utter discomfiture. But 
he wandered from the matter, whether 
wilfully or not I could by no means 
decide ; and presently, catching a ghost 
of a smile on the face of Big Etienne, 
I gave up and rested thankful for what 
I had got. As for Philip, he was ami- 
ably gracious to both Big Etienne and 
myself, but it was manifest that all his 
little heart had gone out to Grul ; and 
the two were presently playing together 
in a corner of the forge, at some game 
which none but themselves could under- 
stand. 

It wanted yet an hour of noon, when, 
as I stood in the door consuming my 
heart with impatience, yet unwilling to 
go and meet Mizpah and so mar the 
climax which I had plotted for, I caught 
sight of two figures approaching. I 
needed not eyes to tell me one was 
Mizpah, for the blood shook in all my 
veins at sight of her. The other was 
Father Fafard. 

“ Marc," said I to myself, “ is not yet 


The Rendezvous at the Forge 307 


strong enough to venture so far ; and the 
maid Prudence has stayed with him. But 
Mizpah is here — Mizpah is here ! ” 

With eyes of delight I dwelt upon her 
tall, slim form, in its gown of blue woollen 
cloth which set off so rarely the red-gold 
enchantment of her hair. But when she 
was come near enough for me to mark 
the eager welcome in her eyes and on 
her lips, I waved at her, clumsily enough, 
and turned within to catch at a little self- 
possession. Not having my snow-shoes 
on, I could not be expected to go and 
meet her ; and that waiting in the door- 
way was too much for me to endure. 

‘‘ Keep Philip behind the chimney, out 
of sight,” I whispered eagerly to Grul ; 
and somewhat to my wonder he obeyed. 

On the next instant Mizpah stood in 
the door, smiling upon me, her face all 
aglow with expectation and greeting ; and 
I found myself clasping both of her white 
hands. But my tongue refused to speak, 
— deeming, perchance, that my eyes were 
usurping its office. 

Finding at length a word of welcome 


3o 8 The Forge in the Forest 

for the good priest, I wrung his hand 
fervently, then turned again to Mizpah. 

But my first speech was stupid, — so 
stupid that I wished most heartily that 
I had held my tongue. 

“ Comrade,’' said I, “ this is a glad day 
for me.” 

Her face fell, and her eyes reproached 
me. 

“ Because you have defeated and slain 
my people ? ” she asked. 

My face grew hot for the flat ineptitude 
of my words. 

“No! no I Not for that!” I cried 
passionately, “ but for this / ” 

And I turned to snatch Philip from his 
corner behind the chimney. 

But Grul was too quick for me. He 
could play no second part at any time, he. 
Evading my hands, he slipped past me, 
and himself placed the child in Mizpah’s 
arms. 

I cursed inwardly at his abruptness, 
though in truth he had done just what 
I was intending to do myself. As Miz- 
pah, with a gasping cry, crushed the little 


The Rendezvous at the Forge 309 


one to her bosom, she went white as a 
ghost and tottered against the anvil. I 
sprang to support her, but withheld my 
arm ere it touched her waist, for even on 
the instant she had recovered herself. 
With wordless mother-cries she kissed 
Philip’s lips and hair, and buried her 
face in his neck, he the while clinging to 
her as if never again for a moment could 
he let her go. 

Presently, while I waited in great hun- 
ger for a word, she turned to Big Etienne 
and Grul. 

My friends ! ” she cried, in a shaken 
voice which faithfully uttered her heart, 
my true and loyal friends ! ” Where- 
upon she wrung their hands, and wrung 
them, and would have spoken further but 
that her voice failed her. 

Then, after a moment or two, she 
turned to me, — yet not wholly. 

The paleness had by this well vanished, 
and her eyes, those great sea-coloured 
eyes, which she would not lift to mine, 
were running over with tears. Philip 
took one sturdy little arm from her neck. 


310 


The Forge in the Forest 


and stretched out his hand to me ; but I 
ignored the invitation. 

“And what — what have you got for 
me, Mizpah ? I asked, in a very low 
voice, indeed — a voice perhaps not just 
as steady as that of a noted bush-fighter 
is supposed to be at a crisis. 

The flush grew, deepening down along 
the clear whiteness of her neck, and she 
half put out one hand to me. 

“ Do you want thanks ? ” she asked 
softly. 

“ You know what I want, — what I 
have wanted above all else in life from 
the moment my eyes fell upon you ! 

I cried with a great passion, grown sud- 
denly forgetful of Grul and Big Etienne, 
who doubtless found my emotion more 
or less interesting. 

For a second or two Mizpah made no 
answer. Then she lifted her face, gave 
me one swift look straight in the eyes, 
— a look that told me all I longed to 
know, — and suddenly, with a little laugh 
that was mostly a sob, put Philip into my 
arms. 












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The Rendezvous at the Forge 31 1 


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